Whose agenda? Participation and Childrens Advocacy in Wales Imperfect present But planning a better future.

Whose agenda? Participation and Children’s Advocacy in Wales

Imperfect present

But planning a better future

Cardiff University School of Social Sciences

Location - Cardiff• 2 hours west of London

• Capital city of Wales



Child as citizen? Citizen as member of community – to be

involved in decisions About relationships of inter-dependence Escape language of ‘futures’, practice

listening now. Children right to our time. Adult power inescapable – involve early. Child is attentive witness to our morality. Participation adult-defined?


Wales policy (i) Children’s Commissioner, 2001, £1.6m 2003 C&YP Assembly for Wales, 0-25 yrs,

(Art 12 UNCRC), engage with policy NAfW 2004 (country report) formally adopts

UNCRC as basis of policy making. Statutory school councils. 2 students serve

as governors in secondary schools. 2006 Gov policy – Children’s Assembly -

active part in decision making / influencing services.


Wales policy (ii)

Children and Young People’s Cabinet Committee, monthly, Leader and ministers.

Flagship policy: Children & Young People: Rights to Action with 7 Core aims:

flying start; range of educational opps; best health and free from abuse; access to cultural and leisure activities; listened to and identity recognised; safe home, physical and emotional well-being;

not disadvantaged by poverty.


Children in Wales

650,000 0 – 19; 4,500 looked after. 28% defined as in ‘poverty’ = 170,000 70,000 severe poverty, £130 per week, not

including housing benefit. 16 year olds don’t get 5 GCSEs = 15% 7.5% 16 year olds no GCSEs = worst UK high smoking girls, obese boys, poor diet. Unfit dwellings, highest proportion who are poor

at school.


Listening to vulnerable children

Scandals – children not listened to 2001 WAG fund LAs to commission vols Adoption & Children Act 2002, children in

need have right to advocacy in complaints in relation to 1989 Children Act

2003 WAG launch 10 National Standards 2004 Children’s Commissioner says still

problems for children being heard – why!?


Wales Government definition

‘Speaking up for children, empowering so rights respected, wishes heard. Views, needs and wishes represented to decision makers – help them navigate the system’

Case based service – targeted at social care priorities

vol sector deliver to 22 Local Authorities Health and education catching up


What do Advocates do?

Unit of activity hard to establish / measure

1 to 1 – counselling / comps advice Seek and meet target groups of children Promote service to key audiences Participation events Newsletters / communications/ phones Attend meetings with children Duplication?


Suspicious minds – tick-box game?

Research to map key stakeholders views How many children get advocacy for

complaint-making or other activities and what do they think of service?

What LA think of advocates & vice versa? What impedes / facilitates advocacy at an

organisational and strategic level?


Hard to find – but much regarded

Not understood – how popularise? Info not read /retained – more innovative? Word of mouth – other professionals Liked /expect – rapport, accurate reporting

of their words, confidence and persistence in presenting case, provide help without making decisions, setting out options.

Emotional work – being – doing advocacy


Imagining the advocate

Draw and annotate – “…..they will have a big heart, big ears

for listening, a big mouth for getting heard, and good shoes to get where they’re going……”

“…..would listen, have satellite ears, a big brain, and uses her head, she has open and fiery eyes, but she’s not angry, she gets attention…”


Antipathy, Ambivalence, Approval –Responses from social workers

SW rivalry– identity & power usurpers! pro-complaints, irresponsible, don’t refer.

Advocacy becomes a cop-out = see your advocate, nothing I can do!

Advocacy & complaints an opportunity. Not a threat. Some over-referred - advocates complain co-option!


Children’s Complaints - Wales (12 months)

678 registered complaints 70% led by adults – mainly parents 48% in care system 30% led by child over 10 with adult support 23% led by child as sole advocate 11% involved children’s advocate


How many seen and cost?2005-6

700 seen @ £1,000,000. Range 12 to 80 children seen p.a. Annual cost £25,000 - £150,000 Network/virtual orgs, staffing fragile 3 year contracts – time and trust Marketised = distrust system No independence for agencies No robust evaluation


We need a new Model

National Helpline, National Advo Unit. Regional commissioning of one-stop

service to ‘mainstream’ advocacy. 3 tiers – complaints-specialists; high

needs - hard to reach; universal access for any child

Ambitious participation agenda: children as advocates, trainers, planning, review.

Whose agenda? Participation and Childrens Advocacy in Wales Imperfect present But planning a better future.

Documents

advocacy slide

advocate slide

attention slide

children duplication

childrens advocacy

statutory school councils

robust evaluation slide

better future slide