Special Educational Needs and Disability: Voice of the child toolkit
Practitioners working with children and young people (CYP) with special educational needs and disability (SEND) have developed a set of engagement tools in collaboration with the Parent/Carers Together Forum to capture the voice of the child or young person.
There are three different tools to download:
- All About Me – to get to know different aspect of the child or young person
- 3 Islands – if you have any safeguarding concerns
- Improvement Ladder – to discuss improvements and change
There are different versions of the same Voice of the Child tool to meet varying needs of children and young people with SEND.
This is not an exhaustive list of tools and the key factors are looking at the individual needs of CYP, their preferred communication method and working with those that know them best.
These must not be used as assessment tools but can help to inform any assessments or plans.
These tools are intended to:
- enable the child or young person to have a voice which is listened to and acted upon
- enable the child or young person to give their view on the support they receive
- enable the child or young person to identify what help they would like and who from
- enable the child or young person to identify and share what is important to them
- enable practitioners to build positive relationships and gain a better understanding of the child or young person to best support their needs
- enable the child or young person to give their views on actions for change
- enable the child or young person to review what has worked or not worked for them
- improve outcomes and evidence what differences listening to the child or young person has made.
Please make sure you read the Voice of the child toolkit: Guidance SEND, it has been written to advise you on how to get the best out of the toolkit.
Autism Spectrum Disorder: tools
- Autism - Voice of the child: All about me - Who am I?
- Autism - Voice of the child: All about me - My identity
- Autism - Voice of the child: All about me - Getting to know me
- Autism - Voice of the child: 3 islands
- Autism - Voice of the child - Improvement Ladder
Non-verbal and complex needs: tools
- Complex needs - VOC: All about me - Who am I?
- Complex needs - Voice of the child: All about me - My identity
- Complex needs - Voice of the child: All about me - Getting to know me
- Complex needs - Voice of the child: 3 islands
- Complex needs - Voice of the child - Improvement Ladder
Hearing impairment: tools
- Hearing impairment - Voice of the child: All about me - Who am I?
- Hearing impairment - VOC: All about me - My identity
- Hearing impairment - Voice of the child: All about me - Getting to know me
- Hearing impairment - Voice of the child: 3 islands
- Hearing impairment - Voice of the child - Improvement Ladder
Learning disability: tools
- Learning Disability - VOC: All about me - Who am I?
- Learning Disability - VOC: All about me - My identity
- Learning Disability - VOC: All about me - Getting to know me
- Learning disability - Voice of the child: 3 islands
- Learning disability - Voice of the child - Improvement Ladder
Under 5's with SEND: tools
- 0-5 years SEND - VOC: All about me - Who am I?
- 0-5 years SEND - VOC: All about me - My identity
- 0-5 years SEND - VOC: All about me - Getting to know me
- 0-5 years SEND Voice of the Child: 3 islands
- 0-5 years SEND Voice of the child: Improvement ladder