A guide to the people who can help you gain your rights
There are SO many new people involved in your life when you live in care. It can be challenging to know who to turn to when you need support in a particular area or are struggling to have your views and wishes taken into account.
Of course, your foster carers should support you to access your rights and get in touch with other people who can help you, but there are also many other professionals whose job it is to make sure you have the best experience of being in care and have every opportunity to succeed in all areas of your life.
Who's who?
Here’s a handy guide to some of the key people you may want to get in touch with…
When you are looked after, the people who are making decisions about you must find out what your views and wishes are about anything that matters to you, and they should take your opinions seriously.
Sometimes, though, it can be difficult to express how you feel, or you might think your views are not being properly listened to, and that’s what an advocate can help with.
Advocates are independent workers who are there to support you. They won’t make decisions for you, but they will explain what choices and rights you have, make sure your views are expressed and respected, attend meetings with you or for you, and challenge any decisions you are not happy with.
If you haven’t already been told about an advocate, you should ask your social worker or personal advisor.
Visit nyas.net or tgpcymru.org.uk for more information.
The Children’s Commissioner’s job is to tell people why children’s rights are so important and to look at how the decisions made by public bodies in Wales, including Welsh Government, affect children’s rights.
Children’s guardian is the name of a trained person who works for CAFCASS Cymru (Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service) and helps children and families during a court case.
You may also hear them called family court advisors (or FCA). They will be appointed to your case by the court and should be in touch with your foster carer or social worker to arrange to see you before any important court dates.
Part of the guardian’s job is to meet with you and listen to what you think and how you feel and help you to understand what’s happening. They will advise the judge or magistrate on what your needs, wishes and feelings are and share their opinion on what they think is best for you.
They won’t ask you to decide what happens next or ask you to make a decision about your family.
Visit www.gov.wales/cafcass-cymru for more information.
This is a school member of staff whose job is to promote high aspirations and educational outcomes for care experienced children and young people. They should have a good understanding of what it means to be in care and should meet with you and your foster carers regularly to discuss your personal education plan to ensure you’re getting the right support you need each and every day at school.
If you don’t know who the designated person is in your school, ask your foster carers to help you find out.
The main job of the IRO is to make sure that your care plan or pathway plan meets your needs. They are the person who chairs your review. They should always let you express your own views as part of that review and, very importantly, they should follow up any actions agreed at the review.
The IRO also makes sure that the local authority knows when it is not doing well enough for children in its care. Where decisions have been made or actions have been taken that are not best for you, the IRO can raise a dispute with the local authority. If this doesn’t resolve the issue, the IRO can report them to CAFCASS Cymru who may then ask a court to investigate.
A personal advisor (PA) is a support worker who is there to work with you to make sure your pathway plan becomes a reality. They should offer you advice and assistance to help you develop your independence, including support with finding accommodation and managing relationships. They should talk to the local authority about the help you need, including any money you should get.
A PA should be introduced when you are aged 16 or 17 (although your social worker may carry out this role until you’re 18 and then the PA will take over). Your PA should be in touch with you regularly until you are at least 21, although they can be there to support you until 25 if you need it. They will make sure your pathway plan is reviewed and updated every six months (with your input, of course!).
An independent visitor is a volunteer who befriends and visits a child or young person living in care. They provide guidance and advice, and generally help your social, emotional and educational development.
An independent visitor will usually visit about once a month, with the aim of establishing a good, ongoing relationship with you. Their main role is to be your friend, so you should have fun together – but they can also support you in expressing your views and asking for things you are entitled to.
Find out more at nyas.net.
A looked after children nurse (sometimes called a children looked after nurse) is responsible for improving the health and wellbeing of looked after children and young people. While you are in care you will have at least one health review each year which will be carried out by these nurses.
The nurse can act as a health advocate with you and make sure that your voice is heard in all decisions about your health.
You should definitely know who your social worker is! They take the lead in bringing together all the professionals who are working in your best interest and making decisions, with you, about your future. They should be visiting you regularly, building a relationship with you, making sure that you have a clear care plan and that your needs and interests are being met.