Listening to children and young people

This chapter is about listening to children and young people: about what it means to listen to children and young people, why we should listen to children and young people, and how we communicate with children. There are sections on dealing with specific issues that emerge in communicating, and on particular issues in work with younger children. The chapter also deals with questions of children’s competence, the concept of ‘wishes and feelings’ and how listening to children sits with promoting their ‘best interests’. Finally, the chapter considers organisations and initiatives to enable a voice for young people in care, and ways of listening to children and young people collectively. The chapter concludes with a guide to further reading.