The Voice of the Infant – Dr Anne McFadyen

As part of the development of Infant Mental Health services and systems in Scotland, we undertook work to facilitate the voices of babies and young children in the work, in the appraisal and evaluation of that work and in the design and development of our services.

Best Practice Guidelines have been developed to provide guidance on how to take account of infants’ views and rights in all encounters they may have with professionals in statutory or third sector services, or in public spaces, such as shops, libraries or galleries. Furthermore, The Infant Pledge in Scotland details what babies and young children should expect from adults.

In this presentation, Anne will describe theoretical considerations underpinning this initiative and also place the work in the context of relevant policies and legislation, including the UNCRC. The presentation will be followed by breakout rooms and discussion to consider the implications of this work for your own practice.