Your Rights

Your Voice Matters

Being in care or care experienced doesn't change your rights, you have the same rights as every other child and young person, along with some extra rights to make sure you are safe, supported and involved in decisions about your life.

You have the right to be listened to, treated with respect and included in decisions that affect you. If something doesn't feel right, you have the right to ask questions, speak up and get support.

No one should make important decisions about your future without listening to what you think and how you feel.

  • You have the right to:

    • Be safe and protected.

    • Be treated with kindness and respect.

    • Have your wishes and feelings listened to.

    • Be involved in decisions about your life.

    • Go to school or college and achieve your goals.

    • Get the healthcare and emotional support you need.

    • Stay in touch with important people where it is safe to do so.

    • Understand why decisions are being made.

    • Ask for an advocate to help you speak up.

    • Make a complaint if you are unhappy with a service.

  • Your experiences matter, and your ideas can help make Children's Services better for everyone.

    The Participation and Engagement Team helps children in care and care experienced young people share their views, influence decisions and shape the future of services across Wirral.

    You could:

    • Help improve Children's Services.

    • Interview people applying to become social workers.

    • Join projects that make a real difference.

    • Meet other young people with similar experiences.

    • Learn more about your rights.

    • Develop confidence, teamwork and leadership skills.

    • Receive vouchers to thank you for your time and contributions.

    Getting involved is also a great opportunity to make new friends, build confidence and make sure young people's voices are heard.

  • The Children in Care Youth Voice Group and Care Leavers Council meet regularly throughout the year.

    These groups are made up of young people who have experience of care and want to improve services for others.

    Together they:

    • Share ideas with senior leaders at Wirral Council.

    • Help improve services.

    • Influence important decisions.

    • Help recruit and train professionals.

    • Inspect Children's Services.

    • Make sure the voices of children in care and care leavers are heard.

    Everyone's experiences are different, and every voice is valuable.

  • If you've received support from Children's Services, we'd love to hear about your experience.

    Your feedback helps us understand what's working well and where we can do better.

    You can:

    • Tell us about a positive experience.

    • Suggest improvements.

    • Share ideas.

    • Let us know if something didn't go as expected.

    Your feedback can help improve services for other young people too.

  • Your opinions matter.

    Whether you've had a great experience or feel something could have been better, we'd really like to hear from you. Your feedback helps us celebrate what's working well and improve the support we provide to children and young people across Wirral.

    Give us feedback

    If you've received support from Children's Services, you can tell us what you thought using one of our online feedback forms.

    Every piece of feedback helps us understand what we're doing well and where we can make things even better.

    Making a complaint

    If you're unhappy about the support or service you've received, you have the right to make a complaint. Making a complaint is your choice, and it won't affect the support you receive.

    You can make a complaint if you feel:

    • You haven't been listened to.

    • A decision doesn't feel fair.

    • You're unhappy with the support you've received.

    • Something has gone wrong.

    • You think your rights haven't been respected.

    The Children Act 1989 gives children and young people in care the right to complain about services affecting them. Your complaint will be taken seriously and someone will work with you to understand what happened and how things can be put right.

    If you would like help making a complaint, you can ask an independent advocate to support you. They can explain the process, help you express your views and make sure your voice is heard throughout.

  • Independent Advocacy

    Sometimes it's easier to have someone on your side.

    An independent advocate is there to listen to you, explain your rights and help make sure your views are heard.

    Many young people say having an advocate helped them feel more confident and supported.

    "My advocate helped me get my point across."

    "I feel more confident. I can speak for myself."

    "They listened to me and made sure I felt heard."

    You can ask for an advocate at any time.

    View our Advocacy Page for more information

  • An Independent Visitor is a trusted adult volunteer who spends time with young people in care.

    They're not a social worker or carer—they're simply someone who is there to build a positive, long-term relationship.

    Young people often say their Independent Visitor helps them:

    • Build confidence.

    • Try new activities.

    • Have fun.

    • Talk to someone they trust.

    • Take a break from everyday worries.

    One young person said:

    "My Independent Visitor is someone I can always talk to."

    Another shared:

    "We laugh a lot when we're together."

    These relationships can make a real difference.

Find out more on Care Experience
Useful Contacts

Got a question?

Whatever is on your mind, our Care Experience Support Team is here to support you. Whether you have questions about your care journey, available support, opportunities, or what happens next, we're here to help. Simply fill in the form below and a member of the team will get back to you.