Advocacy: a voice for children and young people

What is advocacy for children and young people?

Advocacy is about supporting children and young people to make sure that their rights are respected and their views and wishes are heard at all times.

The aim of advocacy is to make sure young people are protected and their rights are met by providing an opportunity for views to be listened to and properly considered.

What can an advocate do for children and young people?

An advocate is someone who is independent. This means they work directly for the child or young person, not the carers or social worker. The advocate will listen carefully to the child and help them make sure that people making decisions about their life are listening to what they say.

An advocate can support a young person to:

• express their wishes and feelings in meetings
• contribute to the plans and decisions being made about them
• understand their rights and make sure their rights are being respected
• make a complaint
• support them in meetings

The advocate will not tell anyone anything the child says without their permission, unless they are worried about the young person or someone else’s safety.

Why a child or young person might need an advocate

Children might use this service because they:

• need someone to talk to
• do not feel safe
• are unhappy where they are living
• need to make sure their voice is heard and listened to in the decisions adults are making
• are unhappy with having to move
• are having problems in school

The advocacy service is offered independently on our behalf.