Centering vulnerable voices: facilitating the participation of looked after children with learning disabilities in research

Within the looked after child population, those with a learning disability constitute a significant group, making their distinctive experiences particularly crucial to understand. Despite this, there remains limited attention given to the lives of children with a learning disability in the care of the state (Hill et al., 2017) and there is a noticeable gap in research dedicated to exploring their unique experiences (Baker, 2007). Doctoral study was undertaken with an aim to address this research gap, employing creative methods to engage nine looked after children with learning disabilities as participants. This article presents a case study, focusing on insights gleaned from this research initiative into the ethical considerations and practical challenges faced during recruitment of this ‘hard to reach’ and ‘vulnerable’ group. Challenges presented include negotiating ethical approval and addressing safeguarding concerns, which emphasises the need for a rights-based, inclusive approach. Organisational changes and staff turnover posed further challenges, leading to the loss of participants and concerns about potential bias and additional gatekeeping where social workers were assigned the responsibility of identifying and approaching potential participants. This underscores the importance of cultivating relationships and maintaining communication with practitioners. Navigating the complexities of obtaining consent from children with learning disabilities involved enhancing the child’s capacity through engaging the support of caregivers and adapting to the diverse communication and learning needs of each child. The article concludes by emphasising the need for researchers and practitioners to find a balance between protection and empowerment to gain critical insight into the needs and experiences of looked after children with learning disabilities.