Webinar: Meaningful participation of children and young people in decisions about their care

Clive Diaz

Summary

This training webinar examines children’s participation, with a focus on care reviews and child protection conferences. Drawing on three research studies involving interviews with children in care, children subject to child protection plans, their parents, senior managers, social workers and independent reviewing officers (IROs), the webinar highlights what meaningful participation looks like in practice. It outlines the key characteristics of high-quality, child-centred engagement in reviews and conferences, and explores the barriers and enablers to effective participation by young people. The session offers practical insights for professionals seeking to strengthen children’s voices in decision-making processes.