Accessing advocacy and social care records with our care leavers local offer
What is advocacy for children and young people?
Advocacy is about supporting children and young people to make sure that their rights are respected and their views and wishes are heard at all times.
The aim of advocacy is to make sure young people are protected and their rights are met by providing an opportunity for views to be listened to and properly considered.
What can an advocate do for children and young people?
An advocate is someone who is independent. This means they work directly for the child or young person, not the carers or social worker. The advocate will listen carefully to the child and help them make sure that people making decisions about their life are listening to what they say.
An advocate can support a young person to:
- express their wishes and feelings in meetings
- contribute to the plans and decisions being made about them
- understand their rights and make sure their rights are being respected
- make a complaint
- support them in meetings
The advocate will not tell anyone anything the child says without their permission, unless they are worried about the young person or someone else’s safety.
Why a child or young person might need an advocate
Children might use this service because they:
- need to make sure their voice is heard and listened to in the decisions adults are making
- do not feel safe
- are unhappy with where they are living
- are unhappy with having to move
- are having problems in school
The advocacy service is offered independently on our behalf.
Submitting a request for access to records
If children or young people require access to their records, in the first instance they will be encouraged to discuss this with their allocated social worker or personal adviser. Information in relation to a living individual is dealt with as Subject Access Requests under the Data Protection Act 2018. A response should be provided within 30 calendar days of receipt of request/confirmation of ID unless the request is complex or voluminous in which case legislation allows for an extension of up to a further two months if required. If an extension is required the young person will be informed of this.