A Child’s Voice® — A Model That Works
Our model has been Co-designed with children and informed by schools, social workers, and mental health professionals over a period of 45 years. The A Child’s Voice Model provides structured, evidence-based support that helps children express themselves, build confidence, and thrive in safe, supportive environments. The programme has robust safety planning to ensure children have access to support.
Why Early Intervention Matters
Suicide remains one of the leading causes of death among young people in the UK. Tragically, up to 200 children die by suicide each year, highlighting the urgent need for early intervention, accessible support, and effective prevention strategies. The A Child’s Voice Model is designed to identify risk early, strengthen protective factors, and provide children with a safe space to express their thoughts, feelings, and experiences before difficulties escalate into crisis.
Key Benefits
- Amplifies children’s voices – fostering understanding, respect, and self-expression.
- Builds confidence and creativity – helping children articulate thoughts, emotions, and ideas.
- Guides professionals – offering practical, structured tools for educators, social workers, and mentors.
- Evidence-based – translating clinical research into everyday social work and educational practice.
- Safeguarding-focused – prioritising children’s safety and wellbeing at every stage.
- Empowers learning environments – creating safe spaces where young people are genuinely heard and valued.
Our Vision
To reduce self-harm and suicide risk among children aged 8 and above by providing early, accessible, evidence-based support.
Our Approach
- To our knowledge, this is the only co-designed 10-week programme of its kind in the UK for at-risk children.
- Bridges clinical research with real-world social work and educational practice.
- Trains school and social care professionals to deliver consistent, measurable outcomes.
- Reaches children in crisis who may not be able to access traditional support.
- Intervenes early to prevent escalation, complementing—not replacing—emergency services.
Our Impact
- Up to 95% self-reported reduction in self-harm and suicidal thoughts.
- Reduced A&E attendances, supporting safer outcomes and easing pressure on emergency services.
- Improved emotional wellbeing, confidence, communication, and engagement among participating children.
- Enhanced confidence and capability among professionals supporting at-risk children.
- Outcomes are measured and evaluated using recognised CORC (Child Outcomes Research Consortium) guidelines, providing a robust, evidence-based framework to assess wellbeing, risk reduction, and programme effectiveness.