CYSCP

This practice guidance and accompanying tool have been developed by the CYSCP in response to multi-agency audits and reports identifying an absence of the voice of the pre-verbal child. Acknowledgment of, and insight into, the lived experience of children provides essential understanding that is required to safeguard, promote positive infant mental health, and realises the human rights of infants and very young children.

It is appreciated that practitioners cannot ask an infant about their lives or decisions that affect them however they can learn to observe and look within themselves for the voice of the child and to describe it in their own words.

Knowledge or expertise in early year’s child development is not a requirement to develop these skills but practitioners must recognise that infancy and young childhood requires recognition as life stages and are not simply transitional phases.

It is suggested that this tool and guidance can be used to support direct observation of children, record keeping, report writing, personal reflection, reflective discussions, and professional supervision.

The following resources have been developed:

• Capturing the Lived Experience of Pre-Verbal Children - PRESENT Tool
• PRESENT Tool - Practice Guidance
• Narrated PowerPoint training Capturing the Lived Experience of pre-verbal Children, which is available on the CYSCP e-learning website