Listening Together: Do young people with disability and young carers feel heard?

Abstract

This report presents findings from the Listening Together research project, which explored how young people with disabilities and young carers experience being listened to by the people and services in their lives. Drawing on survey responses from 72 young people, the research examined where and how young people feel heard, the opportunities they have to influence the services they receive, and the barriers they encounter when trying to give feedback or be involved in decision-making.

The findings show that listening matters deeply to young people and is closely linked to feeling respected, supported, and safe. However, many young people reported limited opportunities for co-design and advisory involvement, and significant gaps between their desire to give feedback and the chances they are given to do so. While some services were experienced as responsive and supportive, others were seen as inflexible, difficult to engage with, or untrustworthy. When organisations failed to listen, young people described feeling unheard, dismissed, and, in some cases, harmed.

Young people articulated clear ideas about what good listening looks like, emphasising openness, respect, care, and responsiveness, as well as the importance of accessible and safe feedback processes. They also highlighted the considerable effort they invest in trying to be heard across multiple settings. The report concludes by outlining recommendations, developed from young people’s perspectives, for how organisations and individuals can create stronger cultures of listening and improve everyday interactions with young people with disabilities and young carers.