The voices of looked-after children (LAC) are rarely heard in health services or research. Obtaining feedback on services from children and adolescents and involving them in decision-making is important; yet communicating with vulnerable groups, like LAC, is not straightforward. Improving communication practices and ways of gaining feedback can facilitate quality improvement across healthcare. Using focus groups with 49 LAC aged 5–17 years, we identified three core themes. First, feedback tools need to be child-centred and LAC-friendly; second, tools should be gender-neutral and developmentally appropriate; and third, the current UK feedback tool was not fit for purpose. If feedback tools for children and adolescents are unfit for purpose, then any quality improvement and changes to services made are not sufficiently paying attention to this important population.
CarterB (2014) Advancing health and well-being through children’s rights. Journal of Child Health Care18(3): 205–206.
5.
CashmoreJ (2002) Promoting the participation of children and young people in care. Child Abuse and Neglect26(8): 837–847.
6.
ClarkeVBraunV (2018) Using thematic analysis in counselling and psychotherapy research: a critical reflection. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research18(2): 107–110.
7.
CoyneIGallagherP (2011) Participation in communication and decision-making: children and young people’s experiences in a hospital setting. Journal of Clinical Nursing20(15/16): 2334–2343.
8.
CoyneIHallstrőmISőderbäckM (2016) Reframing the focus from a family-centred to a child-centred approach to children’s healthcare. Journal of Child Health Care20(4): 494–502.
9.
CurtisKLiaboKRobertsH, et al. (2004) Consulted but not heard: a qualitative study of young people’s views of their local health service. Health Expectations7: 149–156.
10.
DaviesJWrightJ (2008) Children’s voices: a review of the literature pertinent to looked-after children’s views of mental health services. Child and Adolescent Mental Health13(1): 26–31.
11.
DickinsonAWrapsonWWaterT (2014) Children’s voices in public hospital healthcare delivery: intention as opposed to practice. New Zealand Medical Journal17(18): 20.
12.
DixonJBiehalNGreenJ, et al. (2013) Trials and tribulations: challenges and prospects for randomised controlled trials of social work with children. British Journal of Social Work44(6): 1–19.
13.
EvansRBrownRReesG, et al. (2017) Systematic review of educational interventions for looked-after children and young people: recommendations for intervention development and evaluation. British Educational Research Journal43(1): 68–94.
14.
GaskellC (2010) ‘If the social worker had called at least it would show they cared’: young care leaver’s perspectives on the importance of care. Children & Society24(2): 136–147.
15.
HancockMAmankwaaLRevellM, et al. (2016) Focus group data saturation: a new approach to data analysis. The Qualitative Report21(11): 2121–2130.
16.
HargreavesDVinerR (2012) Children’s and young people’s experience of the National Health Service in England: a review of national surveys 2001–2011. Archives of Diseases in Childhood97(7): 661–666.
17.
HusseyDFallettaLEngA (2012) Risk factors for mental health diagnoses among children adopted from the public welfare system. Children and Youth Services Review34: 2072–2080.
18.
KmietowiczZ (2014) Friends and family test ‘unfit’ for comparing NHS services, finds research. British Medical Journal348: 4355.
19.
LeesonC (2007) My life in care: experiences of non-participation in decision-making processes. Child and Family Social Work12(3): 268–277.
20.
LindekeLNakaiMJohnsonL (2006) Capturing children’s voices for quality improvement. MCN, The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing31(5): 290–295.
21.
LundyL (2007) ‘Voice’ is not enough: conceptualising Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. British Educational Research Journal33(6): 927–942.
ManacordaTErensBBlackN, et al. (2017) The friends and family test in general practice in England: a qualitative study of the views of staff and patients. British Journal of General Practice67(658): e370–e376.
24.
McLeodA (2007) Whose agenda? Issues of power and relationship when listening to looked-after young people. Child and Family Social Work12(3): 278–286.
25.
McPhersonA (2010) Involving children: Why it matters. In: RedsellSHastingsA (eds) Listening to Children and Young People in Healthcare Consultations. Oxon: Radcliffe, pp. 15–30.
26.
MezeyGRobinsonFCampbellR, et al. (2015) Challenges to undertaking randomised trials with looked after children in social care settings. BMC Proceedings16: 206–221.
27.
MurrayC (2005) Children and young people’s participation and non-participation in research. Adoption and Fostering29(1): 57–66.
O’ReillyMBowlay-WilliamsJSvirydzenkaN, et al. (2016) A qualitative exploration of how adopted children and their parents conceptualise mental health difficulties. Adoption and Fostering40(1): 60–76.
30.
O’ReillyMParkerN (2013) ‘Unsatisfactory saturation’: a critical exploration of the notion of saturated sample sizes in qualitative research. Qualitative Research13(2): 190–197.
31.
O’ReillyMRonzoniPDograN (2013) Research with Children: Theory and Practice. London: Sage.
32.
RidgeTMillerJ (2000) Excluding children: autonomy, friendship and the experience of the care system. Social Policy and Administration34(2): 160–175.
33.
StanleyN (2007) Young people’s and carers’ perspectives on the mental health needs of looked-after adolescents. Child and Family Social Work12(3): 258–267.
34.
WardHSkuseTMunroE (2005) ‘The best of times, the worst of times’: young people’s views of care and accommodation. Adoption and Fostering29(1): 8–17.
35.
WilkinsonSJoffeHYardleyL (2004) Qualitative data collection: interviews and focus groups. In: MarksDYardleyL (eds) Research Methods for Clinical and Health Psychology. London: Sage, pp. 38–55.
36.
WinterK (2010) The perspectives of young children in care about their circumstances and implications for social work practice. Child and Family Social work15(2): 186–195.
