Your views and opinions matter, especially when adults are making decisions about you.
There are laws to ensure your views are heard and for your to be part of any discussions about your support.
Its very important for adults to know what support you need before making decisions about you. This is why its important for them to understand how best to support you and what doesn’t work well for you.
Of course, this doesn’t mean you’ll always get what you want, what it does mean is that you have a right to say what you think and for those views to be heard by people around you.
Sometimes you might need help to work out what you want or how to voice it. Some people find it helps to talk to someone to help get things clear in their mind. This person could be someone who knows you well, like a parent or carer or a teacher.
You may like to get your thought down by:
- Writing a list of what’s important to you and why.
- Think about the things you want to happen and what you don’t want to happen.
- If you like to draw, you could draw a picture of what you think would be the ideal outcome. For example, the right support in school.
- You could Voice record your thoughts and views on your mobile phone so you can listen back at a later time or share your recording with others to help them understand what you want to happen.
It’s important to remember that it’s your right to have your views taken seriously and there may be things you can do to help that happen.
Attending a meeting
You may have noticed your Parent Carer goes to meetings at your school, the Local Authority or to meet with medical professionals to discuss important things about you.
These meetings are often used to make decisions or to come up with plans for your future.
The meetings are about you and you are allowed to say what you think and to listen to what others have to say.
It’s perfectly normal to feel a bit nervous about these meetings as you may have to talk in front of people you don’t know well. Most people feel a bit nervous going to meetings.
However, the most important thing is that you have a chance to let everyone in the meeting know how you are feeling, what is working well for you at the moment and what you are worried about or struggling with.
It may be that you don’t feel ready to go to a meeting and talk in front of new people, that doesn’t mean you wont have a chance for them to hear your views. There are ways to make sure your views are heard and you will find lots of information about how to prepare for a meeting, what to expect when you are there and how to make sure your views are heard if you don’t feel ready to attend.
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