4.2 Consider the individual’s voice

When we refer to a person’s voice, this signifies a person's unique perspective and identity. Sharing one’s voice, is the ability to share thoughts, feelings, and opinions, both verbally and non-verbally.

Recognising and respecting a person’s voice is particularly important when interacting with children and young people who often may not have the opportunity to express their feelings or thoughts.

It is essential to look beyond spoken communication, acknowledging actions, responses and participation. This is particularly important when communicating with babies, non-verbal children and young people.

In advocacy and rights contexts, ‘voice’ often emphasises the importance of individuals, especially marginalised groups, to have a say in decisions that affect their lives. The care-experienced programme at The Life Changes Trust worked with young people, to discuss the value of having a more active voice in such decisions.

Here are some of the things that the young people reported as being important to them when engaging with adults during various life stages:

Click on the play button below to listen to and read their comments.

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Spending time together. Working at a slower pace. Offering different ways to engage. Empowering young people to lead and make decisions. Understanding the lived experience. Identifying and reconsidering boundaries. Considering the young person’s context. Recognising young person’s expertise. Emotional and practical support. Shifting power dynamics.

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This feedback is featured in the following 16-minute webinar by the Life Changes Trust you can watch (Life Changes Trust, 2021).

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4.1 Putting it into practice – what is important?

4.3 Positive interactions