Children's Society exposes failings in advocacy services for disabled children
Joe Lepper
Monday, September 26, 2011
The Children's Society is calling for an overhaul of advocacy support for disabled children after latest research showed widespread problems with current services.
The Someone on Our Side report, which follows a three-year study by the charity into advocacy services, found 32 out of 107 councils surveyed did not have an advocacy service for disabled children and young people.
Over a six-month period analysed between August 2008 and January 2009 only 529 referrals were accepted.
Too often advocacy services could not be provided when children lived away from home, the report found.
Councils are being called on by the charity to improve promotion of advocacy services. Just half of advocacy services promoted their services. The report cites other research from 2008 in which no young people with disabilities had heard of advocacy services before they were referred to them.
The Children’s Society has also called on every council to commission an independent advocacy service for disabled children and for their availability and effectiveness to be closely monitored, with services required to produce an annual report.
The right of all disabled children who are placed away from home to have access to advocacy services should be made law, the charity added.
The report found that advocates were highly valued by disabled young people, offering them support and helping them access a range of services.
The Children’s Society chief executive Bob Reitemeier said: "The role of an advocate is unique. They are entirely different from other professionals in a child's life. For disabled children, some of whom do not use speech to communicate, advocacy can make a tremendous difference to their quality of life. The provision of advocacy is vital in enabling them to express their views."
Over a six-month period analysed between August 2008 and January 2009 only 529 referrals were accepted.
Too often advocacy services could not be provided when children lived away from home, the report found.
Councils are being called on by the charity to improve promotion of advocacy services. Just half of advocacy services promoted their services. The report cites other research from 2008 in which no young people with disabilities had heard of advocacy services before they were referred to them.
The Children’s Society has also called on every council to commission an independent advocacy service for disabled children and for their availability and effectiveness to be closely monitored, with services required to produce an annual report.
The right of all disabled children who are placed away from home to have access to advocacy services should be made law, the charity added.
The report found that advocates were highly valued by disabled young people, offering them support and helping them access a range of services.
The Children’s Society chief executive Bob Reitemeier said: "The role of an advocate is unique. They are entirely different from other professionals in a child's life. For disabled children, some of whom do not use speech to communicate, advocacy can make a tremendous difference to their quality of life. The provision of advocacy is vital in enabling them to express their views."
