The starting point for this resource pack is a 12-year-old boy’s comment on the many meetings he attended while he was in the care system: “They always think they know best - no-one even asked me.”

One of Barnardo’s key concerns is to ensure that children and young people have a voice in forums that make decisions about them. This pack is one way it tries to foster that kind of inclusion. It provides materials and advice on how to run a meeting that is child-centred and not patronising.

There are examples of child-friendly documents and of ways to use games in meetings. An example is the “ball game”: “One person starts by asking a question such as, ‘Say your name and one thing about you,’ and throws the ball to another person, who has to answer the question and throw the ball on.”

The pack is inspirational and practical, and will help teachers in class as well as in a case conference. It could also point to a child-centred approach to conventional school councils.