When a child or young person experiences a life-changing injury, it’s easy for adult voices to take centre stage—parents, clinicians, case managers, educators. But the most important voice in the room is often the quietest: the child’s own.
At Bush & Co Kids, we believe that listening to and honouring the voice of the child is essential to delivering meaningful, effective rehabilitation. Not just because it's best practice, but because it’s the right thing to do.
What Do We Mean by ‘The Voice of the Child’?
The voice of the child refers to how a child expresses their views, wishes, feelings and experiences. It’s not always verbal—especially for children with communication difficulties. It might be expressed through play, behaviour, artwork, technology, or even just body language.
We use a range of age-appropriate, neurodiverse-friendly methods to tune in to what a child is trying to tell us, even when words are hard to find.
Capturing the voice of the child means:
- Understanding what matters to them
- Recognising their fears, hopes, and preferences
- Including them in decisions about their care
- Respecting their identity, interests, and boundaries
Why It Matters in Rehabilitation
Children are not passive recipients of rehabilitation. They are active participants in their own recovery—and their motivation, engagement, and emotional wellbeing directly impact outcomes.
By listening to the child:
- We build trust and cooperation
- We make therapy more meaningful and fun
- We reduce anxiety and improve emotional safety
- We create goals that are truly theirs, not ours or the grown-ups in their life
When a child feels seen and heard, they’re more likely to thrive. And when they’re at the centre of their own care pathway, rehabilitation becomes about more than recovery—it becomes about reclaiming joy, purpose, and self.
Because Childhood Matters
Childhood is a unique, irreplaceable time of life. It’s where identity forms, memories are made, and lifelong patterns of confidence and resilience begin. A serious injury may change a child’s path—but at Bush & Co Kids we feel it should never take away their childhood.
Our promise is that ‘Every childhood matters and every voice is heard’. We believe case management and rehabilitation should protect and nurture childhood which means:
- Encouraging play, curiosity and creativity
- Supporting friendships, inclusion and education
- Helping children feel powerful, not powerless
- Ensuring they continue to dream, explore and grow
In everything we do—from assessments to recommendations—we aim to honour not just the injury, but the individual. And not just the person they are today, but the person they are becoming.
Rehabilitation isn’t just clinical, t’s emotional, it’s social and it’s human and the child’s voice should lead the way alongside the family, the legal team, the medical and therapy teams, education and everyone on their side.
