Children and young people living in out-of-home care (OOHC) in Australia have a right, established in policy and State-based legislation, to participate in decisions that impact their day-to-day lives. Despite many positive impacts of participation, there is substantial evidence that children are inconsistently engaged in participatory practices. The risks of re-traumatising children who are likely to have already experienced considerable trauma is a persistent concern in OOHC practice. The dominance of a risk aversive approach in child protection systems is well established; however, there is little research exploring how caseworker understandings of risk may influence children’s opportunities for participation. To better understand how risk constructions influence participation, seven in-depth interviews were conducted with OOHC caseworkers in the Australian Capital Territory. Through thematic analysis of interviews, findings reveal that destabilising a child’s placement or their physical and emotional wellbeing were viewed as central risks arising from participation. When caseworkers identified concerns about instability, they would often exclude or delay participatory practices to mitigate these perceived risks. This study provides insight into the nuanced considerations of participatory practice with children in OOHC and explores how critically reflexive interpretations of risk and trauma may be effective in strengthening children’s participation.
