Children’s participation in reviews and planning meetings when they are ‘looked after’ in middle childhood

Abstract

This paper is based on a study of participation by children aged 8–12 in decisions when they are ‘looked after’ by local authorities. The research established that more children in this age group are attending reviews and planning meetings, but that the likelihood of their attendance varies with age and other factors. The paper explores reasons why some children are more likely to attend meetings than others, and uses material from interviews with children and adults to understand the part which children take in meetings when they do attend. The attendance of children at review meetings has exposed some ambiguity in their purpose, and the paper argues for a re‐evaluation of the place of reviews in relation to other processes. It concludes by calling for a combination of rights‐based and relationship‐based approaches to empowering children.