Children's Rights Advocacy and Independent Visitors

Children's Rights Advocacy and Independent Visitors there is a statutory duty for all local authorities to provide advocacy services and independent visitors for vulnerable children and young people Cheshire West and Chester Council intend to recommission this service with effect from 1st April 2020 the procurement of this service will start on Monday 9th November 2020. The Children and Young Persons Act 2008 extended the statutory requirement to provide an Independent Visitor service to any child or young person in care not just those where communication between the child and a parent or person with parental responsibility has been infrequent or where they have not visited the child in care in the preceding twelve months. The Children Act 2004, gives local authorities a duty to ascertain children's wishes and feelings and give due consideration to them when decisions are being made about a child's care. Chapter 5 of the Working Together to Safeguard Children emphasises the importance of involving children in decision making and acknowledged that children may need advocacy support to assist them in understanding and participating in child protection processes. The Adoption and Children Act 2002 places a duty on local authorities to make provision for advocacy services for Children in Care who wish to make a complaint. The service is for children and young people who are Children in Need, have a child protection plan , Children with disabilities and Children in Care aged up to 18 years, are homeless 16 and 17 year old, Care leavers up to the age of 21 years (up to the age of 25 years in accordance with Keep On Caring Supporting Young People from Care to Independence July 2016) and unaccompanied asylum seekers This will also include young people placed out of borough. The service will meet the statutory responsibility of the Council(s) to provide the above service for children and young people in the Borough of Cheshire West and Chester Council. The key outcomes that we want to achieve are • provide children and young people with awareness of and access to services which are their legal right. • Give advice and information to children and young people so they are empowered to ensure their views and wishes are heard, their rights are respected and reflected in the decision making about their lives, in order to assist them in making a balanced decision regarding their welfare and support • To provide an Independent Visitor to visit, advise and befriend where it is considered to be in their best interests.