Keeping the child in mind in multi-professional working: Valuing the viewpoints of children and their parents

This research explores data collected from a diverse range of professionals involved in team working to support children with specific needs. Through anonymous online survey we collated quantitative and qualitative data related to the individual’s perception of their status, and the interactions within the team. Having focused upon professional relationships previously, in this article we focus upon the positionality and voice of the child and their parents within these multi-professional teams. In doing so we discover that professionals can frequently forget that the child themselves is entitled to a say in the decisions made about them, and that the concept of parent as expert upon their own child is rarely recognised in practice. Our findings highlight a training need for professionals, whereby they are enabled to take a far more child-centred and reflective approach to their collaborative work with colleagues, families and children.