Updated February 2019

We know that children children and teenagers are the experts in their own lives and have the right to be meaningfully involved in all decisions that affect them. The ‘right to participate’ is one of the guiding principles enshrined within the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) and government policy has long emphasised the importance of listening to, as well as the involving children, young people and their parents in shaping the services they receive, for example Aiming High for Disabled Children (HM Treasury & DfES, 2007), You’re Welcome (DH, 2007), and the Children and Families Act (2014).

In practice many of us find this very challenging in our day-to-day practice. Participation is not fully embedded in the culture of the NHS and in particular in services for disabled children, those with delayed communication skills or communication impairments, and deaf children and young people who primarily use other languages to ourselves, such as BSL users.

‘Participation’ could mean everything from participating more effectively in their appointments, taking greater responsibility for asking for and responding to information, being able to advocate for and engage with their own care, to working with them to develop services that more closely meet their needs.

I have put together a list of useful resources to support audiologists and other health professionals in improving participation of deaf children and young people in audiology and other health settings:

Information for children and young people for resources developed for deaf children and young people, producing your own information for deaf children and young people, and information for children and young people on their rights when using NHS services

Communicating and decision making with deaf children and young people for resources on improving communication

Young peoples views of the services they receive and involvement of children and young people for resources on their views