History of how the "A Childs Voice Programme" was born

Development Process of the “A Child’s Voice” Workbook Programme ( Works started 2021 - Accredited 2024)

1. Needs Assessment and Research

The Life Matters Charity began in 2019 as an idea, in January 2021 it was registered by The Charity Commission.

The idea to develop the “A Child’s Voice” self-healing programme for children was not known at the time. The Life Matters first started to offer service around direct work to help children and young people to build their self-esteem.

The first school that we worked in was Strood Academy and through this work The Life Matters undertook a comprehensive experiment to test and understand the barriers children face in having their voices heard in care, education, and community systems.

During this experiment, The Life Matters collected data from news articles and statistics on poor mental health, self-harm and suicide in children and also spoke to social workers, CAMHS, early help workers, teachers, and safeguarding leads including:

Data from the initial referrals
Data Analysis: Available data from government, public health, reports and surveys
Engaging with social workers, educators, child advocates, and carers to identify service gaps
Lived Experience Input: Conducting evaluations reports with children and young people (ages 8–18) to capture direct experiences.
Reviewing the existing clinical research and social work practices data

All of this showed just how serious and widespread self-harm and suicidal thoughts or attempts really were and still are

2. Co-Production with Young People

Central to the design ideas of the programme is the principle of co-production. The Life Matters held a series of youth-led design workshops, ensuring to gather the information that would be relevant when added to a structured workbook programme. Children told us:

What experiments they enjoyed through participation via the direct work 1 to 1 sessions
That they wanted a structured workbook where they could commit to pledges for themselves
That they needed practical tools to help them express themselves safely and confidently in a 1-1 session
That when they self-harm they wanted to understand how the brain worked

and have some fun activities to do

They want lots of educational and fun activities to learn and grow from
One child said, “things stay in my brain best when I write down for myself how I feel”

From this feedback the charity applied structured expressive writing to the design of the programme

Children helped crate and design the programme see what Eliza age 15 has to say about her participation

3. The “A Childs Voice” Workbook Programme

Co-created with children The Life Matters designed and developed a self-healing 10-week workbook programme, “A Child’s Voice”, . This self-harm and suicide prevention initiative focuses on early intervention, self-healing, and empowering young people to find their voice, build resilience, and access the support they need. A Child’s Voice Programme – Overview.

Evidence-based approach - Co-created with children
Accredited 10-week workbook programme
Structured over 10 weeks, the programme uses structured expressive writing that combines prevention, early intervention, and self-healing strategies tailored for children and young people
Focus on voice and empowerment the programme enables children to safely express their emotions, build resilience, and develop coping mechanisms through guided activities and therapeutic engagement which includes a section for immediate safeguarding support for the child
Whole-system support, complementing existing safeguarding frameworks that can be delivered alongside wider mental health and wellbeing initiatives in schools and community settings
Designed for sustainability and expandability that includes facilitator training to follow and deliver the programme, outcome tracking, and support resources to ensure long-term impact and consistent delivery

4. Quality Assurance and Compliance Measures

The “A Child’s Voice” Workbook programme aligns with key frameworks and standards that:

Is aligned with NHS England’s Staying Safe by Suicide initiative
Integrates with the national school mental health framework
Ensures comprehensive support and guidance rooted in nationally recognised safeguarding and mental health frameworks

Is compliant with statutory guidance and international standards that:
- All training materials align with Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSiE) and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
- Guarantees adherence to safeguarding regulations and legal frameworks
- Reinforces commitment to child protection, educational inclusion, and respect for children’s rights

Professional delivery requirements

All professionals delivering the programme must be CPD accredited
This ensures that facilitators possess up-to-date knowledge and skills for effective and safe programme delivery
Maintains high standards of practice and promotes consistent, evidence-based engagement

CPD accreditation of the programme

The programme itself is fully CPD accredited, meeting recognised continuing professional development standards
Adds professional value for facilitators and organisations involved
Enhances the programme’s credibility, quality, and commitment to ongoing learning

5. Evaluation Framework and Impact Measurement

We conduct evaluations with each child at the beginning and at the conclusion of the 10 Week programme, gather feedback from the children, schools, professionals, and parents or carers. The child records their weekly wellbeing scores, which are documented, and sessions incorporate robust safeguarding and child protection measures throughout.

Conclusion

The development of “A Child’s Voice” by The Life Matters of the 10 Week workbook programme represents a child-led, evidence-informed, and professionally grounded initiative. The programme not only empowers children to express themselves but strengthens the capacity of adults and systems to listen to their voice and act. With the support of funding, The Life Matters seeks to expand this vital work and ensure every child is heard, valued, and safe.

The “A Child’s Voice” is the only accredited 10-week self - healing mental health workbook programme in the UK that bridges clinical research and social work practices

Thank You to Strood Academy School Strood

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Strood Academy for their invaluable support and collaboration during our work with their students as part of the first cohort in 2021-22. Your trust and commitment to our self-harm and suicide prevention initiatives have made a profound and lasting impact. Not only did your support help create a safer environment where young people felt empowered to speak out, but it also played a crucial role in how we evaluated the children's requests for a more structured programme.

This collaborative effort directly contributed to inspiring the next generation of students to engage with our charity, ultimately leading to the development of the A Child’s Voice, a project co-designed with young people, for young people.

Thank you for walking alongside us in this journey and for being a part of the early steps toward a lasting impact.

"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."

Due to the sensitive nature of our work we do not share historic detailed case studies undertaken in the development of the “A Child’s Voice” programme on our website, as the content may be distressing. However, if you would like further insight into the impact of our work, please contact the charity directly. We can provide anonymised case studies upon request, where appropriate.