Children's rights and advocacy

The Children’s Rights and Advocacy Service is a new, free, confidential and independent service for Herefordshire children and young people who are in the care of the local authority.

The service is delivered via a partnership agreement between three Council departments, and Connexions. The stated aims are:

1. To ensure that children and young people’s rights are actively promoted and protected in all the Council’s activities (currently the focus of service delivery is for children and young people within the care of the local authority).
2. To develop and promote advocacy for children and young people with concerns about Council services provided to them as an individual, particularly children in the looked after system.

There is a great deal of legislation relating to provision of advocacy services, particularly the recent amendment to the Children Act 1989. Section 26A of the Children Act 1989 was inserted by Section 119 of the Adoption and Children Act 2002. Section 26A imposes new duties on local authorities with social services responsibilities, to ensure that advocacy services are provided for children and young people making or intending to make a complaint under section 24D or section 26 of the Children Act 1989. The Regulations and guidance came into effect on 1 April 2004.

In Herefordshire, Angie Evers is the Children’s Rights and Advocacy Worker responsible for the delivery and future expansion of the service. She is employed by Connexions, and is based at their offices in St. Owen’s Street. The service offers:

1. Support and information to looked after children regarding their rights in relation to the Council services they are receiving.
2. Access to an independent advocate to enable looked after children, children in need and those receiving Aftercare services to make a complaint if they wish to, and support them throughout this process.
3. Access to an independent advocate to represent the child or young person’s views, or empower them to speak for themselves.

Rights to advocacy do not extend to a parent or another person making a complaint on behalf of a child. However, information regarding the rights of a child can be sought via this service. It is important that, wherever possible, the child self-refers to the service. Advocacy is a child-led process, which is issue based. It does not therefore offer long term support. The aim is to help children and young people have their views listened to and taken seriously, with the hope that, as a result, something will be stopped, started or changed to resolve their issue.

Angie would be pleased to provide you with more information about this service, or to deliver a workshop in your workplace. Please contact her for details.

Angie Evers
Child Advocacy Worker
 
C/o Connexions
20 St. Owen's Street
Hereford
HR1 2PL
(07977) 257773
(01432) 269404
aevers@connexions-hw.org.uk