Find out about our eighth annual conference for disabled children and young people and/or those with special educational needs.
On Wednesday 18th February 2026, over 110 children and young people travelled to Birmingham to take part in the Youth Voice Matters children and young people’s conference. This event, part of the Department for Education funded national programme Making Participation Work, is the largest gathering of disabled children and young people and those with special educational needs in England.
Youth Voice Matters provides an opportunity for children and young people to develop their participation skills and to recognise the impact they can have when taking part in strategic participation. The event is co-designed by children and young people from the young SEND advisory group to the Department for Education, FLARE.
The theme of the 2026 event was Youth Citizenship. During the conference, delegates explored:
- What they have in common with each other and how we can use our shared goals to shout louder.
- How they can work together with other young people across the country to talk to decision-makers.
- How to be strong leaders and work with the decision-makers who can help them create change.
- How to share their skills and power with other young people, so they can be youth citizens, too.
- The ways we can keep on working together after Youth Voice Matters, to use our voices and experiences positively for change.
Attendees heard from Minister for School Standards, Georgia Gould. She delivered a keynote speech, met with the members of the FLARE group to discuss the SEND system, and took part in some of the workshops on offer.
Activities and workshops on the day focussed on youth citizenship, including:
- A session led by FLARE, where attendees explored how they could work more effectively as a team to have their voices heard and how they could advocate for the other young people in their community, not just for themselves.
- Haringey Shed, an inclusive performing arts organisation for children and young people, delivered an interactive session where young people learned how they can use performing arts, drama, and movement to explore Youth Citizenship.
- The National Youth Agency, the national body for youth work in England, delivered a workshop exploring how young people connect online. Through interactive activities and discussion, attendees learned ways to express themselves, take part safely, and feel confident using digital spaces to show who they are and what matters to them.
- VoiceBox is an international content platform by young people for young people. They delivered a session which taught young people how they can express their thoughts and get people to listen what they have to say through creative expression. Workshop attendees thought about what matters to them most and learned how to share their voice through writing, art, poetry, or other creative ways.
- The final workshop was delivered by the Policy Team at the National Children’s Bureau and Young NCB members. In this workshop, attendees learned about the skills children and young people need to vote and participate in politics. Through interactive activities and scenarios, they practiced these skills and how to use their voices for voting and beyond.
Attendees also had the opportunity to feed into the Department for Education’s work on the SEND reforms. This included sharing their thoughts on how children and young people can provide feedback on their educational experiences and shaping the Council for Disabled Children’s consultation, taking place after the publication of the Schools White Paper.
Here are some key statistics from the day:
- 100% of young people who attended the event who completed the feedback form said they had fun at the event
- 78% of young people who completed the feedback form said they developed the skills they need to share their voice
- 86% of young people who completed the feedback form said they learned something new
- 74% of supporters said the young delegates they attended with were 'very satisfied' or 'satisfied' with the day.
Here's what the adults who were supporting the children and young people told us:
- “Our young leaders really grew in confidence throughout the day, it was lovely to see”
- “Young people enjoyed the workshops and mixing with other young people and feeling their voice was stronger together.”
- “All of them agreed it was the best day out ever and loads of fun.”
Comments from the children and young people who joined us on the day:
- “I love how safe and accepting the place felt as a whole to everyone. I felt really at home.”
- “It was an amazing experience”
- “I loved the creative workshop and expressing my loves and interests with words or drawings.”
- “I loved learning about different ideas and coming together as a community as young people with SEND and disabilities.”
To stay up to date on future events for both young people and professionals, our work at the Council for Disabled Children and Making Participation Work, please sign up to:
- The Making Ourselves Heard Forum
- The Making Ourselves Heard newsletter, tick ‘participation’
If you are a young person and would like to find out more about upcoming events and opportunities, you can:
- Follow us on Instagram @national_childrens_bureau
- Join the Young National Children’s Bureau Network to receive a monthly newsletter