Children and Young People’s Advocacy is about representing the views, wishes and needs of children and young people to professionals making decisions about their lives, and helping them to navigate systems, particularly during times of transition.
Referrals for Children and Young People’s Advocacy can be made by a wide range of individuals and organisations involved in the care and support of Children and Young People. These include:
- Staffordshire County Council Staff and its commissioned providers
- Primary and secondary health service providers
- Schools and other educational settings
- Relatives of the Child or Young Person
- Foster Carers
- The Child or Young Person themselves
The Children and Young People’s Advocacy Service is available to the following cohorts of Children and Young People
- Children and Young People in Care, including Care Leavers
- Children Subject to a Child Protection Plan or who are Children in Need (CPP/CIN)
- Children & Young People with Special Educational Needs (SEND)
- Children with Disabilities
- Children and Young People in Secure Accommodation
- Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children and Young People undergoing Age Assessments
Summary –
The aim of the Children and Young People’s Advocacy Service is to ensure that Children and Young People:
- Have a say in decisions affecting their lives and be supported to make their own choices where appropriate
- Share concerns
- Be listened to and heard
- Be treated fairly