Voice of the Child Conference 2026

Exploring how to make the family justice system easier to understand and more caring for children, especially those who’ve been hurt or are at risk. We want to make sure children and young people know what’s going on, that their voices are heard, and their rights are communicated and embedded into practice.

Purpose of the day: to help the family justice system be clearer and kinder in how it explains proceedings to children, listens to them, and applies children’s legal rights in real situations – especially where a child has been hurt or is at risk.

Why this matters: because children in proceedings in the Family Justice System should understand what is happening especially if they have experienced harm or domestic abuse and what adults and professionals need to do to help them both through understanding their legal rights and managing their expectations.

How the programme hangs together:

1. The legal bit – what children should be told about their rights, what adults must do, and what children should be able to expect. (Children having a right to the information, participation, and protection)
2. What good support looks/feels like – day‑to‑day child‑centred practice that helps children feel safer and more informed. How professionals help children understand and use their rights in real situations.  (What does good look like i.e. sharing recommendations practice. (including Domestic abuse i.e. children are victims in their own right)
3. When it’s hard to speak up & Helping children understand – recognising and representing children’s views when communication is hard (age, disability, neurodiversity, fear, pressure to keep the peace). Accessible ways to explain “who’s who”, decisions, what happens next, and how children’s views are shared and responded to.