1. The Children’s Society Black Country Advocacy Service “The Children’s Society Black Country Advocacy Service is an independent, confidential service in Dudley, Sandwell, Wolverhampton and Walsall for children and young people who are in care, leaving care, or who have a social worker.”

2. What is advocacy? “Advocacy is speaking and/or acting on behalf of people to secure the services they need and the rights to which they are entitled. Advocacy aims to ensure that people's opinions, wishes or needs are expressed and listened to.”

3. What does an advocate do? An advocate is a person who helps people say if they don’t like something or if they don’t agree with a decision that affects thier life. Advocates are independent which means they don’t work for the Council or Children’s Services. Advocates are confidential, which means they will not tell anyone what the person says to them without agreement, unless there is something that might cause harm to them or someone else

4. An advocate: Helps sort out a problem or worry Listens and helps the person understand thier rights Helps make sure the person is treated fairly Helps the person say what they think about things Helps make sure other people are listening to what the person has to say Helps sort out a problem the way the person wants it sorted

5. Why might someone want an advocate’s help? When you are looked after or in the care of Children’s Services you have the right to: Have a say in decisions that affect your life Be listened to and taken seriously Use an advocate to help look after your rights Not be hurt or abused Be treated fairly, whatever your race, religion, sexuality, gender, language or disability Have your health looked after Get the most out of your school or college If you don’t feel this is happening you might want help from an advocate

6. What type of advocacy do we offer? Professional Advocacy (sometimes called paid, independent or issue based advocacy). Non-instructed Self

7. How we do we work with people? CONFIDENTIAL – We offer a confidential service to young people. We will only share information with others if we have the young person’s permission. Child protection concerns are always shared following The Children’s Society recognised policy and procedure. WISHES AND FEELINGS – We work on wishes and feelings of the young person – NOT best interests. PRAGMATIC APPROACH – We are honest and realistic with Young People and professionals as to what can be achieved by advocacy intervention. LOCAL RESOLUTION – We will always try to resolve the young persons issue on an informal level using negotiation and mediation skills with the immediate people or professionals involved. FORMAL COMPLAINTS – Only when negotiation or mediation fails will we support the young person to submit a complaint, unless the issue clearly requires and demands immediate legal action..

8. The Service As a service we will: Inform looked after children and young people and care leavers of their rights. Carry out Direct work with children and young people offering; advice, advocacy, representation and support e.g. at LAC reviews. Advise and support to children and young people who want to make a complaint. Make sure our service is available to all looked after children and care leavers whether they live in or out of borough Aim to respond to a referral within 1 working day. Offer advice and guidance to professionals and carers. Regularly visit Local Authority residential homes across the Black Country. Deliver a Specialist Disability Advocacy service in Dudley and Sandwell

9. Non Instructed Advocacy If a young person is unable to give consent: After working with and getting to know a young person, an advocate will express the wishes and feelings that they believe the young person themselves would express if their communication skills allowed this. This will also include highlighting the young person’s rights, and if needed the advocate will ensure that these are represented in any relevant forum. The advocate will consider the opinions of other professional and significant adults around the young person, but only as a guide. The process of gaining the young person's wishes and feelings may take a long time and is dependent on the development of a trusting relationship.

10. Our role in review meetings In a review the advocate will only remain in the meeting as long as the child or young person is there. If the young person does not want to be in the meeting, and waits outside: the advocate can go into the meeting to present the young person's wishes and feelings. The advocate will then leave. If the young person does not attend the meeting at all then the advocate will also not attend but may well send a written report or speak to the chair if the young person wants them to.

11. How to make a referral Gain the consent of the young person to make a referral (except where the young person is unable to give consent and you want to refer for non instructed advocacy) Phone our freephone number or fill in a referral form and fax it to us Referrals can be made by anybody: e.g. young people, professionals, foster carers, RSW's etc. Criteria for advocacy: children and young people in Dudley, Sandwell, Wolverhampton and Walsall who are in care, leaving care, or who have a social worker Information shared with us is likely to be shared with the young person.

12. How to contact us The Children’s Society Black Country Advocacy Service The Workspace All Saints Road Wolverhampton WV2 1EL Freephone 0800 652 3839 Telephone 01902 877563 Fax 01902 877566

13. DoH National Advocacy Standards

14. The Legal context “The standards are informed by Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and the Human Rights Act 1998. The Convention sets out a wide range of measures to safeguard and to promote the physical, mental, emotional, social and behavioural development of children. In short, the UNCRC recognises that children are not merely ‘adults in training’ but people who are able to form and express opinions, to participate in decision- making processes and to influence solutions.” DoH National Standards for the Provision of Children’s Advocacy Services

15. Core principles Advocates should work for children and young people and no one else. Advocates should value and respect children and young people as individuals and challenge all types of unlawful discrimination. Advocates should work to make sure that children and young people in care can understand what is happening to them, can make their views known and, where possible, exercise choice when decisions about them are being made. Advocates should help children and young people to raise issues and concerns about things they are unhappy about. This includes making informal and formal complaints under section 26 of the Children Act 1989. DoH National Standards for the Provision of Children’s Advocacy Services

16. The 10 National Standards Standard 1: Advocacy is led by the views and wishes of children and young people Standard 2: Advocacy champions the rights and needs of children and young people Standard 3: All Advocacy Services have clear policies to promote equalities issues and monitor services to ensure that no young person is discriminated against due to age, gender, race, culture, religion, language, disability or sexual orientation Standard 4: Advocacy is well-publicised, accessible and easy to use Standard 5: Advocacy gives help and advice quickly when they are requested Standard 6: Advocacy works exclusively for children and young people Standard 7: The Advocacy Service operates to a high level of confidentiality and ensures that children, young people and other agencies are aware of its confidentiality policies Standard 8: Advocacy listens to the views and ideas of children and young people in order to improve the service provided Standard 9: The advocacy service has an effective and easy to use complaints procedure Standard 10: Advocacy is well managed and gives value for money