The annual Voice of the Child Conference
Our 14th annual Voice of the Child Conference
The annual FJYPB Voice of the Child conference is entirely led, organised and run by members of the FJYPB. To date we have had an audience of about 450 delegates including senior figures and family justice professionals.
Our goal is to bring together the key professionals in family justice to deliver speeches, participate in a panel discussion, and lead workshops that are focused and on a wide range of key family justice topics. The conference also provides the opportunity to interact with and learn from board members and fellow attendees to discuss how to implement best practice when working with children and young people.
We will be holding the 2024 Voice of the Child Conference on Thursday 25 July. This year’s event will once again be virtual, and the theme is:
Childhood lasts a lifetime: turning up the volume of the voices of children and young people who are or have been victims of domestic abuse and harmful parenting
To register your interest in attending please visit the Voice of the Child Conference 2024 Eventbrite page.
When your place is confirmed, you will receive a confirmation email from the FJYPB which will include your event ticket.
What to expect on the day
- INTERACTIVE PRESENTATIONS led by children and young people
- PANEL SESSION with Jacky Tiotto, Cafcass CEO, Andy Smith, President of the ADCS, Ellen Miller, SafeLives CEO and Justice Gwynneth Knowles, High Court Judge, Family Division Office
- KEY MESSAGES from FJYPB members
- IN MY SHOES: hear from children & young people about their experience of family law proceedings
The event will be held over two separate live sessions on Thursday, 25 July 2024:
- Sesssion 1: 10:00am - 12:00pm
- Sesssion 2: 1:00 - 3:00pm
Previous Voice of the Child Conferences
The Family Justice Young People’s Board once again brought partners from across the family justice system, including colleagues in Cafcass, together for their annual Voice of the Child conference which was held over two live stream sessions on Thursday, 27 July 2023.
The event was introduced by Sally Cheshire, Cafcass Chair and this year’s theme was: Building trust to enable children and young people to participate in their family court proceedings in the context of delay.
The sessions focused on TRUST and how professionals can work to build meaningful, trusting relationships with the children and young people that they work with. The board members specifically looked at those children and young people who have experience of deprivation of liberty, young people leaving care, and the impact of delay.
At the event’s panel session, FJYPB members asked questions about what more could be done to improve trust between professional and young people in the context of delay.
Lolita Gerald, Assistant Director:
“A truly impactful event that touched many. Board members insights regarding the importance of clear and honest communication was an important reminder to keep children and young mind throughout their proceedings. The commitment of board members to challenge colleagues throughout the family justice system remains a strength of the FJYPB. It’s a privilege to the lead the board.”
FJYPB members have captured the highlights of this year’s event in their Voice of the Child conference summary 2023
The theme for the 2022 Voice of the Child Conference was Delays in the Family Courts: The impact on children and young people, we explored delays in the family courts, looking at the impact on children and young people and what is being done to reduce delays.
We set our stakeholders a number of key challenges focusing on reducing delay.
system together during their annual Voice of the Child conference, to focus on and discuss the needs of children and young people going through the family courts.
The theme for this year’s conference – delivered virtually over a series of webinars – was ‘communication’.
The FJYPB published a summary of the conference webinars:
In 2020, the FJYPB Voice of the Child Conference (VOTC) focused on Domestic Abuse.
The FJYPB published a summary of the conference webinars:
FJYPB Voice of the Child Conference 2020 summary
The FJYPB also shared tips for professionals to minimise the impact of domestic abuse on children and young people, including:
- Use empathy
- Put yourself in their shoes
- Learn to read signs: children are not always aware that they are in a domestic abuse situation
- Understand and listen carefully
- Do not judge
- Do not take sides or make assumptions
- Make sure what you ascertain is what the young person meant
An FJYPB member added: “Listen to what I say and what I don’t say.”