Hearing the voice of the child: evidence snapshot

This evidence snapshot provides a top-level summary of findings from research published between 2016 and 2023 about the voice of the child in children’s social work practice.

The term "voice of the child" refers to the real involvement of children in expressing their views, opinions, and experiences. It includes both verbal and nonverbal communication and goes beyond simply seeking their views to actively including them in decision-making processes.

Listening to the voice of the child helps social workers to identify children’s needs and understand any risks or protective factors in their lives. Hearing the child’s voice is key to planning, deciding and reviewing what actions are needed to support or safeguard children.

Research and reviews have identified key characteristics of good practice around the voice of the child, including:

• building a trusting relationship with the child
• acquiring knowledge and skills so children’s voices are heard and acted upon
• providing children with accurate and accessible information
• ensuring children’s voices do not lose out to those of adults.

This snapshot looks at how the voice of the child is defined, the barriers to hearing the child’s voice, and the practices that support hearing the voice of the child.