Hampshire Children’s Advocacy

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

  1. Who is eligible for Children’s Advocacy?

Any children and young people who are:

Looked After by Hampshire County Council (including in a residential home or foster placement)

Hampshire care leavers (up to the age of 21)

On the edge of Care

Placed in Swanwick Lodge Secure Children’s home

Disabled and have Special Educational Needs AND open to a Hampshire Children’s Services social work team

  1. Will the Children’s Advocate contact with the child/young person’s family?
  • Yes if the child/young person gives permission for the advocate to contact their family, or if it is considered in their bests interests where the child/young person doesn’t have capacity to instruct the advocate to do this AND the family member is not suspected of abuse or neglect
  • Where the child/young person is a Looked After Child or subject to child protection proceedings, the advocate will need to check with the Hampshire County Council Children’s Services social worker before contacting family members
  1. What issues can the Children’s Advocate provide support with?

Child Looked After meetings and reviews

Placement issues, including where the placement is at risk of breaking down

Care and support planning

Making a complaint about Hampshire Children’s Services, placement or the care and support provided

Accessing services, including specialist health and social care as well as mainstream services

Transition to post 18 services

Any issues that are directly connected to the Looked After Child or care leaver status, or the disability of the child or young person

  1. What will the Advocate do?

The advocate will work with the child/young person and where appropriate the family and professionals to

Understand the child or young person’s circumstances and help them clarify their view of the situation

Help the child or young person understand their rights

Assist the child or young person in expressing their views and to ensure that they have been heard and their views taken onto account in decisions that affect them

Help the child or young person understand the decisions that have been made about them

  1. What issues are not supported by Children’s Advocacy service?

Our service does not cover the following situations:

XChild protection proceedings (unless the child or young person meets the eligibility criteria set out in question 1)

XComplaints and challenges to Hampshire Children’s Services about eligibility assessments

XSupport for completing the Education Health and Care Plans (EHCP) or complaints and challenges about the EHCP

XSupport with educational issues in mainstream or SEN schools

XBenefits and finances

XMentoring or befriending

  1. Can the Children’s Advocate provide long term ongoing support to the child/young person?
  • No the Children’s Advocate provides short term issue based support, but children and young people can be re-referred to us if they require further support in the future (even if this for the same issue)
  • Looked After Children and young people can access the Independent Visitor scheme if they wish to have ongoing support – see here for more information
  1. What happens if the child/young person becomes eligible for another type of advocacy, for example Care Act Advocacy or Independent Mental Capacity Advocate (IMCA)?
  • The Children’s Advocate will identify situations where the child or young person becomes eligible for another type of advocacy, and discuss the referral process with the relevant professionals
  • The situations are likely to be where the young person is 16 and

-is eligible for Care Act Advocacy as they have substantial difficulties in being fully involved in care and support planning with the Hampshire Adult Services Transition social worker, and there is no-one appropriate available to support them

-is eligible for IMCA as they don’t have capacity to make decisions about a long term accommodation move proposed by the local authority or NHS body, and there is no-one appropriate to consult with when making the best interests decision

  • We ensure that the young person continues to have the same Advocate where possible rather than transferring the case to a new Advocate
  • In situations where we cannot avoid having a new Advocate, or a Care Act Advocate/IMCA working alongside the Children’s Advocate, we will do our best to minimise disruption to the young person and work together in the most effective way
  1. Does the Hampshire Children’s Advocacy servicework with non HCC funded children and young people living in Hampshire?
  • No,the Children’s Advocacy contract does not cover people who are placed out of area in Hampshire
  • The local authority would EITHER need to commission the service from us directly OR use their local provider
  • Please read the letter here for more information about how to commission us to provide the service
  1. Can you work with Hampshire children and young people who live outside of the county?
  • Yes if it is considered appropriate and we have permission from the Hampshire Children’s Services commissioner
  • We will consider each referral on a case by case basis, having regard to the nature of the placement, distance from Hampshire and the advocacy issue
  1. Can children, young people and their families make a self referral for Children’s Advocacy?
  • Yes, we can take the referral over the phone, email or postand we will confirm whether the person is eligible for the service with HCC Children’s Services
  • If you are not eligible for Children’s Advocacy we will offer another type of advocacy where possible, or signpost you to local services
  1. Can organisations other than the local authority make referrals for Children’s Advocacy?
  • Yes, you can complete the referral form and we will confirm whether the person is eligible for the service with HCC Children’s Services
  • If you are not eligible for Children’s Advocacy we will offer another type of advocacy where possible, or signpost you to local services
  1. Will you be asking children and young people what they think of the advocacy service?
  • Yes we will complete a feedback form with all children and young people and ask

-Do you feel more confident after having an Advocate?

-Do you think your views were listened to when you had an advocate?

  • We have to report to Hampshire County Commissioners what children and young people tell us. It is expected that 90% of children and young people using our service say that they feel more confident, and their views were listened to as a result of having an advocate.

April 2016

HARG is a registered company - number 6050515, and a registered charity – number 1124359

Registered Office: 17 New Road Basingstoke Hampshire RG21 7PR Website:

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