Voice of the Child - participation of children and young people

The ALN system places the learners’ views, wishes and feelings at the heart of the process of planning the support required to enable them to learn effectively and achieve their full potential - person-centred practice.

Supporting children, their parents and young people to participate meaningfully will help them to:

• feel confident that their views, wishes and feelings are listened to and valued, even if they find it difficult to get these across,
• have an awareness of their rights and the support and services available to them, and
• develop a sense of responsibility for, and control over, their learning.

As a result of this, a child or young person’s needs are more likely to be accurately identified and the provision decided upon to meet them is more likely to be effective, which in turn should lead to better outcomes for the child or young person.

Discovering the Voice of the Child? - a presentation for parents and families