Recording of Children and Young People's Views in Contact Decision-Making

Children and young people have a right for their views to be heard and considered in decisions affecting their welfare. Fulfilment of this right may be evidenced through views being represented in documents related to the decision. This article reports findings of a study which examined the records of 160 children who were looked after in Scotland from 2013 to 2017. This included 1,200 individual Hearings, which made a total of 2,003 contact decisions. Data on contact decisions, views, and recommendations were extracted and analysed. Clear wishes of children are recorded in relation to just 12 per cent of contact decisions, and there is no recording of views in 64 per cent of contact decisions. Where the child is aged over twelve years, these figures rise to clear views being recorded in 22 per cent of contact decisions, with no recording of views in 42 per cent of contact decisions. These findings are concerning in relation to the value placed on the views of children and young people in decisions affecting their lives. There are implications for the information available to decision makers, social work practice and for policy and research relating to engagement and participation of children and young people in decisions affecting their lives.