Your shout! Looked after children's perspectives on the Children Act 1989

Ten years after the implementation of the Children Act 1989 in England and Wales, a review of how its main provisions were working out in practice was undertaken by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC). This article reports on a survey of the views of 735 children and young people who were looked after by UK local authorities and discusses some of the implications for policy and practice as the Adoption and Children Act 2002 and the Children Act 2004 are in the early stages of implementation. Information was sought on children's involvement in court processes and care planning, on whether being in care helped these children to feel safe and on contact arrangements with family and with others who were important to them. The authors conclude that there is much support in the responses of these young people for the principles on which the Children Act 1989 is based. The authors also draw out implications for policy and practice.