A new initiative to ensure children in care and care leavers are asked about the things that really matter to them was launched today – with the help of Coventry City Council.
Coram Voice worked with young people, and professionals from Children’s Services in Coventry, Dorset, St Helen’s and Surrey to create a film and briefing paper for local authorities called ‘Ask Me What Matters’.
Children in care and care leavers consistently say that being listened to is one of the things that matters most to them. But being heard is not the same as having your views shape the decisions made about your life.
The Ask Me What Matters resources show social workers, personal advisers, managers and wider children's services teams how to build questions about wellbeing into every contact, from statutory visits and review meetings to pathway planning and everyday conversations.
Over the past two years, the four local authorities worked alongside the children and young people they support to decide what young people want to be asked about their lives, and how they want those conversations to happen. The project builds on Coram Voice's Bright Spots programme, which has gathered the views of thousands of children in care and care leavers across the country.
The councils have gone beyond asking. Each are building the questions into their case management system, so that answers can shape an individual child or young person's plan and can also be brought together to give a collective picture of how care experienced children and young people are feeling and experiencing their lives.
The launch includes:
- A short film showing why these conversations matter and encouraging professionals to reflect on how children's voices shape their practice.
- A briefing setting out the questions each local authority chose to ask, decided together with its children and young people.
Find out more at coramvoice.org.uk/amwm
Linda Briheim-Crookall, of Coram Voice, said: "Children and care leavers are the experts in their own lives. Professionals bring knowledge and experience, but young people bring insight into their own hopes, relationships and ambitions.
“Asking and acting on what matters to them should be central to how we care for children and young people, not an add-on. We hope the Ask Me What Matters tools can help workers and services make sure this happens.“
Cllr Mal Mutton, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People at Coventry City Council, said: “As a child-friendly city, Coventry knows the importance of not just giving a voice to our young people, but ensuring they are heard.
“We are delighted to have been involved in this vital piece of work that will benefit children and young people in care and shape services to help give them the best start in life.”
Sukriti Sen, Director of Children’s and Education Services (DCS) at Coventry City Council, added: “In Coventry, we believe strongly in involving children and young people in care in our decision-making and using their knowledge and lived experiences to guide us.
“This has been at the heart of our work for many years now and was praised in our recent Ofsted ‘Outstanding’ evaluation of Children’s Services. Ask Me What matters is the next step in that work – not just improving services in Coventry.”
A young person who helped shape the project said: "Adults need to talk to us about the stuff that really matters. We know some of these things can feel very real or difficult, especially when we need to talk about family or where we are living. It's not just about ticking boxes and talking about the things that you think are important. It's about talking to us about the things that make our lives better."
Over the coming weeks, Coram Voice will share resources, reflection questions and practice ideas on social media. Practitioners, managers and participation teams are invited to join the conversation using Ask Me What Matters and answer one question: ‘what question helps you have the best conversations with children and young people?’.