The legal basis for participation in child protection
Published:
Dr. Jo Dillon of the University of Sheffield shares the legal basis for ensuring that children can actively take part in decision-making processes that affect their safety and security.
Talking points
This video looks at:
- The duties outlined in Section 53 of the Children Act (2004).
- What giving due consideration to wishes and feelings means in the context of the act.
- The alignment of the wishes and feelings of children and young people and article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Resources that are mentioned in this video
Related resources
- Enabling and embedding creative participation in child and family social work: Practice Tool
- Ensuring children's life stories are at the centre of direct work
- Meaningful participation - how can we involve children, young people and adults in shaping practice, support and services?
- Voice of the child: Evidence Review
- Young person-centred approaches in CSE - promoting participation and building self-efficacy: Frontline Briefing
- Young person-centred approaches in CSE - promoting participation and building self-efficacy: Frontline Tool
Reflective questions
Here are reflective questions to stimulate conversation and support practice.
- How might you use the legislation outlined in this video to enable young people to participate?
- How can you use your role to create opportunities for meaningful participation to empower children and young people?
- How might you ensure that children and young people’s wishes and feelings on their experience are gathered and how might it impact the support they receive?
Professional Standards
PQS:KSS - Relationships and effective direct work | Communication | Child and family assessment | Promote and govern excellent practice | Purposeful and effective social work
PCF - Professionalism | Intervention and skills
Research and guidance on embedding participation in child protection
Dr. Jo Dillon reflects on Rod Kippen’s guidance on direct work with children and young people and how we can involve them effectively in decision-making.
What statutory guidance tells us about effective participation of children and young people
Dr. Jo Dillon reflects on the Working Together to Safeguard Children statutory guidance and the steer it gives us on involving children and young people in decision making.
Supporting effective participation with children and young people
All children should participate in issues that affect them and have their welfare promoted. New Research in Practice resources support effective participation with children and young people.