Every child has the right to be heard.
At Able’s Children’s Sevices, a new initiative called Voice of the Child helps make sure that happens every day.
The initiative was thoughtfully designed by Able’s Client and Family Coordinator, Chris Oakley. It gives children a simple and accessible way to share how they are feeling and what their day has been like.
Chris designed the tool to make sure children have regular opportunities to share their thoughts and feelings. It also helps support workers notice quickly if something might not be right.
Each evening, support workers sit with children and check in about their day. The short digital form helps children share what they did, what went well, and anything that may be worrying them.
The form includes familiar Boardmaker images. They help make the questions easier to understand for children who communicate in different ways.
Children are asked simple questions such as:
- How are you feeling today?
- Why did you feel this way?
- Are you feeling safe today?
- What makes you feel safe?
- What did you get up to today?
They can also rate their day using a star scale out of ten, talk about the activities they enjoyed, or share anything else they would like adults to know.
Participation is always encouraged but never forced. Children can choose whether they want to take part on any given day, and their choice is respected. The form can also record if there were barriers that made it hard for a child to take part that day.
What matters most is creating a safe space where children feel comfortable sharing how they feel in ways that work best for them.
The daily check-ins also help strengthen relationships between support workers and children. They create time to listen, connect, and notice how a child is really feeling.
The initiative supports Able’s commitment to the Child and Youth Safe Standards. The standards emphasise the importance of listening to children and taking their views seriously.
Each day, children share their thoughts and experiences. This helps support teams understand what is going well and where extra support may be needed.
Each month, the information is reviewed by the care team. It helps guide planning and improve access based on children’s abilities and needs. This ensures children’s voices continue to shape the support they receive.
At its heart, Voice of the Child is about something simple. Making sure every child knows their voice matters and that the adults around them are listening.
