As part of the DFE Data and Digital Solutions fund Coram Voice co-authored reports exploring how to capture youth voice in children’s social care data, drawing on learning from the Bright Spots Programme.
‘Creating and improving data sets: the voice of children and families‘ was written by North Tyneside Council, in collaboration with Northumberland Council, Professor Andrew Turnell (University of Cumbria), Professor Eileen Munro (LSE), Dr Louise Caffrey (Trinity College Dublin), and Coram Voice.
The final report:
- Presents their research into how to improve the inclusion of children’s and families’ voices in children’s social care data;
- Recommends a new dataset and collection methodology, including feedback forms and mobile software for capturing children’s voices;
- Highlights insights from the Bright Spots programme – a Coram Voice research project that helps local authorities use children’s and young people’s voices to inform service development and strategic thinking.
Dr Claire Baker and Linda Briheim-Crookall from Coram Voice, with Professor Julie Selwyn, from the Rees Centre at the University of Oxford, also produced separate insight papers:
The Bright Spots insight papers explored three interrelated areas:
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Processes and practices to listen and respond to children’s voice
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Measuring what care experienced children and young people say matters
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How children’s voices are heard and acted on: examples of impact.
The papers concluded that to meaningfully capture children’s views they cannot be explored in isolation as a discreet project. Strategic priorities (national outcomes) need to align with what children say matters (children’s priorities) and, in turn, joined up with what is measured (indicators).
Data collection about children and young people needs to be linked to a child engagement framework where there is an ongoing dialogue with children and young people and, commitment to children being involved in interpreting the data and identifying what needs to be done in response.
The reports include a number of specific recommendations as well as case studies of existing practice.