Children have greater involvement in how their reviews are organised. As a result reviews have become more child-led.

Why?

Children have a right to be involved in decisions that affect their lives (Article 12 UNCRC 1991). The local authority changed how reviews were conducted in response to Bright Spots feedback that children did not like reviews occurring during school hours and wanted more say in who attended and how they were run.

What?

Independent Reviewing Officers (IROs) adapted the way that reviews were held to make them more child led.  We’ve listened to what our young people … said, and we ask them who they want at their meeting and where they want their meeting and then do that. So we might have a child looked after review with the child and their foster carers and that might be it.

After the meeting, a record of what has been agreed is written up and given to the child or young person to ensure that they feel their voice has been heard and is important.

The children and young people feel their voice is important, they get heard, they know that we listen to what they’ve got to say.

 

IRO Team Leader

But we would see other people outside of that, so we might see parents separately or school separately … but the review itself is very much for the child. It’s about the child.

IRO Team Leader
What’s next?

The team are continuing to find different ways for young people to participate and have introduced a consultation form. The new consultation forms are also enabling children and young people to share their voice, and it gives them an opportunity to express what is working well, any worries or concerns they may have as well as what is important to them.

Impact

IROs reported an increase in the number of children and young people wanting to chair their review meetings and attending.

If children didn’t want to attend more were asking to speak to their IRO outside the meeting to express their views.