Child and Youth Advocacy

We believe that children and young people have an intrinsic worth irrespective of colour, language, religion, disability, gender, colour, or ethnic origin, and therefore that:

Children and young people have a right to be seen, heard and listened to and their wishes and feelings given due weight.

Children and young people who are capable of forming their own views should have the right to express them freely in all matters affecting them.

Children and young people should be given opportunities to be heard in judicial and administrative processes concerned with them.

Strategic Aims

Our overall aim is to empower children and young people to realise and fully unlock their potential by leading and mentoring them while promoting an environment that is conducive for them to express who they are without fear of discrimination or intimidation.  To this end our specific aims are:

To ensure children and young people are empowered to make informed and free choices and to speak for themselves.

To ensure children and young people are supported in expressing their wishes and feelings.

To ensure children and young people are enabled to participate in decision making and planning that affects their lives.

To influence local and national policy makers and practitioners to acknowledge the legitimacy and importance of children and young people's rights and to address these matters directly.

To provide a range of independent, confidential and young person led information, advice and advocacy services.

In our work, we value the positive role played by families in the upbringing of children and we also place a premium on responsibility and accountability by children and young persons, due regard being placed on their age.

While the concept of advocacy is not new in the United Kingdom, we feel that not much has been done to teach children and young people to grow up as responsible and law abiding citizens.  Much of the emphasis in the provision of advocacy services has been on what they can get out of the social service system and not what they can contribute.  While children must be helped to fully exercise  their rights, they must also be made aware that for every freedom and privilege, there is an attendant responsibility.  While working within the legislative framework, we believe that rights, respect and responsibility are not only our motto but should be the default mode for progressive communities.

Currently there are many children who cannot speak for themselves.  There are also children who need someone to listen to them without judging them.  Our advocacy service is focused on listening, and providing them with representation, information and support as well as equipping them to be able to speak up for themselves.

Without limitation, we mainly help children who fall within the following categories:

In care

Leaving Care

Homeless

Whose parents are separating

Having disabilities

Facing exclusion from school

Escaping domestic violence

Who are generally in distress

And those who lack confidence.

In addition our advocates have extensive experience in privateand public law cases,which include issues of residence, contact, parental responsibility, emergency protection orders, care and supervision orders, secure accomodation orders, reviews, adoption,  and human rights cases.  They also sit in reviews as independent persons.

Legislative Framework

We work within the terms of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and more particularly Article 12 which enjoins parties dealing with cases involving children to give due weight to the child's views, amongst other things.

We also work within the provisions of the Childrens Act 1989 as amended and subservient legislation.