Family Advocacy

We offer an Independent advocacy service to support vulnerable adults involved in Child Protection cases.

How can I be assigned an advocate?

You need to be referred to the Family Advocacy service by a social worker or solicitor.

An advocate can:

  • Accompany parents at Child Protection Meetings, Reviews or Court Hearings
  • Support parents at meetings with professionals
  • Meet parents to prepare for or follow up Child Protection Meetings, Reviews, Court Hearings, or other meetings with Professionals to ensure that parents understand decisions and actions

Benefits

  • Parents are supported through the complexities of the child protection process
  • More positive outcomes for children and parents
  • Reduces demand for future support services
  • Contributes to a reduction in the number of cases taken to court

How?

  • Helps parents to understand the decisions that are made about them and their child
  • Helps parents to understand the importance of engaging in activities and actions demanded by social services and courts as part of the child protection plan
  • Helps parents to express their views and wishes to ensure they have been heard
  • Speaks on parents’ behalf if they are unhappy about the way they are being treated by social services or they are worried about plans being made
  • Helps parents to understand their rights
You need to be referred to the Family Advocacy service by a social worker or solicitor.

What is the cost?

Family Advocacy is provided on a spot purchase basis at a cost of £45 per hour. This includes direct client work, reading and preparation time, and information recording and reporting. Single and block hours can be purchased.
Travel time is charged at £30 per hour plus expenses (mileage, rail, bus, parking, clean air zone charges etc.) Mileage is charged at £0.45 per mile.

CCP advocates can support parents at any stage in the Child Protection process – see examples below

How to access the CCP Family Advocacy Service:

Click here to Email the Advocacy Service
A referral form for Family Advocacy is available by clicking on the Referral Forms icon at the bottom of the page.