Our Flagship Programme "A Child's Voice" Co-Created with Children ® Saves Lives
Delivering care aligned with NHSE Staying Safe From Suicide
Integrating "A Child’s Voice" with National School Mental Health Frameworks
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Nominated for Pride of Medway
2026 Award
The Life Matters Children’s Self-Harm and Suicide Prevention
Registered Charity No. 1193469
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The Life Matters is a registered charity, approved by the Charity Commission to work in suicide prevention and mental health support.
We are proudly affiliated with the National Suicide Prevention Alliance (NSPA), reflecting our commitment to safeguarding, early intervention, and protecting children and young people from self-harm and suicide.
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Every Child Deserves Hope. We’re Here to Help.
No childhood suicide is acceptable.
Even one is one too many.
All of our work is delivered within safe, professionally governed environments that meet safeguarding standards and ethical practice requirements.
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We Listen. We Believe. We Act.
At The Life Matters, children and young people are partners in prevention — not passive recipients of support.
We listen to their lived experiences.
We believe what they tell us.
We act — together — to prevent harm.
Using trauma-informed and strengths-based approaches, we work alongside children to co-create meaningful, early interventions that protect, support, and empower.
A Child’s Voice
A Child’s Voice is our co-designed, CPD-accredited 10-week programme focused on self-harm and suicide prevention.
Developed with children and young people, it combines evidence-based clinical research with frontline social work practice. The programme is grounded in safeguarding, child development, and ethical, trauma-informed care.
To the best of our knowledge, it is the only CPD-accredited programme in the UK that intentionally brings together clinical research and direct safeguarding practice in this way — delivering early intervention support directly to children.
How We Prevent Harm
Through A Child’s Voice, we:
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Provide a safe and compassionate space for children to begin healing
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Bridge research and real-world practice to ensure our work is both evidence-based and practical
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Offer holistic support that recognises the importance of family and community
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Strengthen resilience and protective factors
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Deliver early intervention that creates lasting impact
Directly supported 60+ Children, extending care to 180 family members strengthening lives in the community.
2026 stats
Our Mission
​​​​​Our mission is to transform the lives of children, young people, and families by delivering high-quality, evidence-based services that promote emotional wellbeing and mental health across the entire family unit.
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Central to our work is the unwavering belief that every child deserves to be heard—especially during times of crisis. We focus on prevention, early intervention, and empowerment by actively listening to children and providing them with the tools to understand, express, and manage their emotions.
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Through direct support, educational resources, self-help programmes, and practical advice, we work to safeguard and strengthen the mental and physical health of young people and families.
We also deliver targeted training for educators, professionals, and corporations to enhance safeguarding and wellbeing practices.
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Every Child Deserves Hope. We’re Here to Help.
Every Child Deserves a Voice. Every Child Deserves the A Child’s Voice 10-Week Self-Healing Programme Workbook.​
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Access the most recent data for A Child's Voice outcomes here
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Who can refer a child or young people to the charity
Referrals can be made by:
· Schools
· Professionals working in a profession that also involve children
· Social services
· Early help
· Parents and carers
· Young people themselves
· ​GP Practices via the Joy APP service​
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"Driving Change Through the Power of a Child’s Voice"​
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"I want my voice to be heard"
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We listened to you and with your help designed a programme just for you.​
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"Your voice is powerful. It deserves to be heard"
1. Child-Led Development
The programme was created with the input of young people who shared their ideas, experiences, and feedback. For example, a 15-year-old contributor helped shape the workbook and explained how valuable a resource like this would have been during her own challenges. Children’s voices are central to everything we do.
2. Evidence-Informed and Multi-Agency Approach
The programme is grounded in clinical research and social work practice. It aligns with UK safeguarding guidance and safety planning standards. We work collaboratively with schools, social care, and mental health professionals to ensure each child receives coordinated and appropriate support.
3. Engaging and Reflective Activities
Sessions include psychology-based activities, interactive exercises, creative tasks, and guided self-reflection. These are designed to build emotional awareness, resilience, confidence, and coping skills in a safe and supportive environment.
4. Monitoring Progress
Age-appropriate well-being measures are used to track progress throughout the programme. This allows young people to see their own growth while also providing clear evidence of positive outcomes.
5. A Young Person’s Journey of Hope
One 12-year-old participant joined the programme after experiencing significant trauma and loss within her family. When she first began, she struggled with overwhelming emotions and trust. Through consistent support, structured activities, and a safe space to express herself, she gradually rebuilt her confidence and sense of hope.
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As part of her progress, she created a drawing to represent what “hope” means to her. With appropriate consent and safeguarding considerations, this artwork is shared as a symbol of resilience and recovery — not of the trauma she experienced, but of the strength she discovered.
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A Child’s Voice is designed for children, with children. We are committed to safeguarding, dignity, and empowerment, ensuring that every young person’s experience is handled with care, respect, and confidentiality while supporting them to move towards a brighter future.
Impact Statement 2026
In 2021, The Life Matters was established in response to the growing crisis of children at risk of self-harm and suicide across Medway.
Since launching, the charity has supported around 60 young people through three structured cohorts, providing early intervention, specialist support, and safe spaces for children who are often struggling in silence.
A Child’s Voice was co-designed with the charity’s second cohort of children, embedding lived experience at the heart of the programme model. Through structured participation, young people directly shaped the programme’s language, content, delivery approach, and safeguarding framework. Their insight ensures the model is not only clinically informed but genuinely child-centred, trauma-aware, and responsive to the real experiences of children facing emotional distress.
A Child’s Voice bridges clinical research with frontline social work practice. It is believed to be the only programme in the UK integrating evidence-based clinical insight with frontline social practice and lived experience in this way — creating a truly prevention-focused model rooted in both research and reality.
The outcomes from the most recent cohort of 20 children demonstrate measurable and meaningful impact:
• 95% reduction in self-harm and suicidal thoughts
• 100% elimination of suicide attempts during the programme period
By combining evidence-based intervention with youth voice and community delivery, The Life Matters is not only supporting vulnerable children — it is preventing crisis, strengthening families, and creating safer futures across Medway.
Every child’s life matters.
Directly supported 60+ Children, extending care to 180 family members strengthening lives in the community.
"Clear evidence from our ‘A Child’s Voice®’ workbook programme indicates that participating children often demonstrate a cessation of self-harming behaviours and a significant reduction in suicidal thoughts or attempts either during or by the completion of the programme.
Testimonial
"In Just 10 Weeks, The Life Matters Transformed What Others Couldn't in Years
""From Silence to Strength — A 10-Week Journey of Healing and Hope" Dont just take our word for it.
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Young person, age 15, Victory Academy School, Chatham, 2025
“Before starting A Child’s Voice, I was self-harming and struggling with suicidal thoughts. After making a self-pledge in week 1, I stopped self-harming and began to feel supported. I know my thoughts might come back, but now I have safety planning tools and know how to get help. I haven’t had an FND episode in two weeks, which used to happen every day. I feel less stressed and more confident, and I’ve even been able to return to school. I really enjoyed the programme and will keep using my workbook for support.”
​Parent feedback:
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Mum
“My daughter has become more confident and learned how to express her feelings. The Life Matters has done more for her in 10 weeks than CAMHS has in four years.”
Dad: “She now understands mental health better and is a more confident young lady. This programme has been fantastic—I just wish more children had access to this kind of support. There simply isn’t enough out there.”​​​
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Testimonial
Children Are Our Future
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​We now turn to Maggie Mae for her thoughts on the 'A Child’s Voice' programme — a reminder that children and young people are, indeed, the foremost experts in their own experiences.
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"My name is Maggie-Mae Darcy, and I started the A Childs Voice programme when I was seventeen, The Life Matters came to see me weekly at my school which is Chatham Grammar school.
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Every child / young person should have access to this type of programme as schools do not have time or resources to offer to every child. Before this programme I was struggling with no way to cope with such feelings, but the programme helped me to break these down and understand myself in new ways.
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Each week I had something to do, each day that helped me to broaden my understanding of my feelings and gain deeper knowledge of myself and why I think the way I do.
Before the programme I felt as though my voice didn’t matter, and that I was wrong in feeling the way that I did, but over the 10 weeks it has helped me to gain my confidence with the ability to share how I feel which helped me to validate my emotions, it also helped me to stop self-harming two weeks into the programme which was something I was struggling with.
I was lost before I started this programme at where I wanted to go in my future but after the first week of the programme, I realised my dream would be to help people. This will allow me to use my life experience to help others and that same week I started to apply for university for a placement studying mental health nursing".
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07 February 2025
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"I am so proud of my daughter achieving her certificate for A Childs Voice.
​​So, I would like to say that when you started to see the wellbeing officer, you were probably at the most depressed and lowest point in your life, I had ever seen, with you being taken by me to the hospital due to fear of self - harm. ​
The course has proved to be everything you needed and more to understand your emotions. ​You have shown a real interest and understanding in every part of the course even passing on your knowledge to me.
​I strongly believe this course has been invaluable and has taught you the tools in understanding your emotions going forward, to be able to cope with life’s challenges, I also believe it has given you clear direction on wanting to pursue a career in mental health to help other teens.
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​I’m so grateful to the charity and Mary for her kindness, understanding and professionalism throughout.
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I’m not sure where Maggie would be now if this course had not been available, thank you for everything Mary and team".
What Maggie Mae's mother had to share
The school shares its reflections on the ‘A Child’s Voice’ programme.
Chatham Grammar school's voice
"Maggie has been more focused and it is transparent that she has been able has build her confidence and resilience whilst studying this course. She has not relied on the pastoral team at all throughout the 10-week programme and certainly has a new focus on her future with a new mindset. ​Maggie- Mae would be at our office every day on some weeks seeking emotional support.
​Well done Maggie - Mae with your latest achievement, it is of my opinion that you will definitely be an amazing mental health nurse and we wish you all of the best for the future. A real credit to our school.
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Thank you to The Life Matters for supporting our student"
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​07 Feb 2025 See other Testimonials
Do You Want Excellent Outcomes for the Children in Your Care?
If your organisation is committed to safeguarding, early intervention, and measurable impact, you can train to deliver A Child’s Voice within your setting.
A Child’s Voice is a structured, CPD-accredited 10-week self-harm and suicide prevention programme designed for use within statutory services, schools, and frontline organisations. It integrates evidence-informed clinical research with practical social work application, ensuring delivery is both safe and effective.
Why Train With Us?
By training your professionals to deliver the programme, you can:
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Strengthen early intervention pathways
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Enhance safeguarding responses
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Improve emotional resilience and protective factors in children
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Provide structured, measurable support within your existing framework
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Evidence outcomes for inspection, governance, and quality assurance
The programme is trauma-informed, developmentally appropriate, and aligned with UK safeguarding standards. It is designed to complement — not replace — existing statutory responsibilities, while equipping practitioners with practical tools they can use immediately.
Build Capacity. Strengthen Practice. Improve Outcomes.
If you are a statutory service, school, local authority, or third-sector organisation seeking robust, preventative mental health interventions, training to deliver A Child’s Voice enables you to bring structured, safeguarding-led suicide prevention directly to the children who need it most.
Together, we can move from crisis response to early prevention — and deliver the outcomes children deserve.
Trusted and supported by our Sponsors
The Life Matters relies on donations in order to operate our service.
We would like to thank all personal donations and the kind sponsorship of some local companies and organisations.
Accreditations, memberships, alliances and supporters......
Member of the Kent & Medway Child & Young People Suicide Prevention Network
Member of the Kent & Medway Adult Suicide Prevention Network
Member of the Lambeth Child & Young People Suicide Prevention Network
Member of the Southwark Child & Young People Suicide Prevention Network
Member of the Scotland Child & Young People Suicide Prevention Network
Member of the Hertfordshire Child & Young People Suicide Prevention Network
Sign up for emails
Tel: 01634 714088
​Mobile: 07760 464 294
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Email;
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