Experiences of participation among looked-after-children with learning disabilities: ‘I want to go home, but they won’t let me’

This article highlights the often-overlooked voices of looked after children with learning disabilities, who are overrepresented in the care system yet frequently excluded from research and decision-making about their lives. Meaningful participation is a legal and practice imperative, central to children’s rights and wellbeing, but often limited by assumptions about capacity and communication barriers. Drawing on the first phase of a doctoral study, this paper reports findings from creative, qualitative interviews with nine children aged 8–18, using rights-based, inclusive methods tailored to individual children’s needs. Inductive thematic analysis revealed five themes: the significance of decision-making and life events; varying levels of participation and agency; emotional responses; communication and information sharing; and the importance of supportive relationships. The findings show that children with learning disabilities want to participate and can contribute meaningfully when supported. Embedding inclusive, relational, and emotionally responsive participation practices is essential to improve decision-making for children in care.