Sharing your views


Capturing your views, wishes and feelings

The law says that what you think is very important and should be at the centre of any planning that is being done for your education and future.                 

What you think is often known as ' your views, wishes and feelings                  

This means that your dreams and goals are really important too and that those supporting you should be listening to you and helping you work towards achieving them.

How views can be captured

It can be helpful to prepare what you want to share with others.                  

You can ask someone to help you to prepare and record your views, wishes and feelings, such as a parent/ carer or support worker.                 

Remember, this process is about what you think not what other people think. They will get their own chance to speak or provide them separately.

There are many ways that you can share your views such as:                  

About me resource About me        

  • Making a list of key things
  • Writing it all down
  • Drawing pictures
  • Making a diagram of key things
  • Making a powerpoint
  • Making a collage
  • Recording yourself, or making a VLOG
  • Making a journal of your thoughts and feelings

Me First have produced some resources on sharing your views that you might find helpful.                  

What can I do?

To help you plan and prepare to capture your views, wishes and feelings, you could think about:

  • Who you are – what is great about you and what do others say that they like about you?
  • How do you like to communicate with others?
  • How do you like others to communicate with you?
  • How you are feeling?
  • What are your hobbies and interests?
  • What is important to you?
  • Who is important to you?
  • What is going well at home?
  • What could be better at home?
  • What is going well at your school, college or setting?
  • What could be better at your school, college or setting?
  • What are your goals and wishes for your future?
  • What do you think would help you with this?
  • How can others support you to do your best?

You could write your thoughts down and/or talk it through with someone you trust.                  

Sharing your views, wishes and feelings

When it comes to sharing your views, wishes and feelings, this might be something that you feel comfortable doing yourself, or you prefer someone else to do this for you.                  

It might be that there is a meeting to go to, or that you can just send some information instead. There is more advice about meetings in the sections below.                  

Sharing my own views

Sharing in person

If you will be attending a meeting yourself to share and talk about your views, then it may help to think about the following:                  

  • Have you prepared what you want to share?
  • Can you send it ahead of the meeting so that others can look at it?
  • Would you prefer to say what you think on the day in the meeting?
  • Is someone going to be there who knows you well?, who can help you to share your views?
  • If you don't want to attend the whole meeting, can you go to part of it or join it via telephone or internet(e.g. Zoom or Skype)

There is more information and advice about preparing for and attending meetings in the section below.                  

Sharing by sending the information

If there is no meeting to attend, or you have decided that you do not want to go, you can still make sure that your views, thoughts and feelings are considered.                   

It might be helpful to think about the following:                  

  • Have you captured everything you want them to know?
  • Does it need anything sending with it to help them understand?
  • Will someone contact you to talk to you about what is sent?
  • How will you know that your views have been listened to?
  • Do you have any questions that you would like answering?

Someone sharing my views for me

If you have decided that you would prefer someone else to share your views, wishes and feelings for you, then it is important you feel that they know what you want.                  

You could work with them on capturing your views, or could talk it through with them if you have chosen to do this step on your own.                  

It might be that you will attend a meeting, but do not want to speak directly. Or that you do not want to go and someone is going to go for you.                  

It might be helpful to think about:                  

  • Do this person know you well?>
  • Do you think that they understand what is important to you?
  • How will they let you know what happened?
  • If more information is needed, will they be able to contact you to ask, or could they answer on your behalf?
  • Do you need them to take any notes for you?
  • Could the meeting be recorded for you?
  • Could you go to part of the meeting, or join it via telephone or internet(e.g. Zoom or Skype)