RFQ for the Provision of Children's Rights, Advocacy & Indpendent Visitors Services

Halton Borough Council and Cheshire West & Chester Council are seeking appropriately qualified and experienced providers to deliver direct support for an Advocacy and Independent Visitors Service.

The aim of the Advocacy Service is to provide: - • children and young people with awareness of and access to services which are their legal right. • advice and information to children and young people so they are empowered to ensure their views and wishes are heard, their rights are respected and reflected in the decision making about their lives, in order to assist them in making a balanced decision regarding their welfare and support. The aim of an Independent Visitor is to visit, advise and befriend where it is considered to be in their best interests.

There is a statutory duty for all local authorities to provide advocacy services and independent visitors for vulnerable children and young people:

• The Children and Young Persons Act 2008 extended the statutory requirement to provide an Independent Visitor service to any child or young person in care not just those where communication between the child and a parent or person with parental responsibility has been infrequent or where they have not visited the child in care in the preceding twelve months. • The Children Act 2004, gives local authorities a duty to ascertain children’s wishes and feelings and give due consideration to them when decisions are being made about a child’s care. • Chapter 5 of the Working Together to Safeguard Children emphasises the importance of involving children in decision making and acknowledged that children may need advocacy support to assist them in understanding and participating in child protection processes. • The Adoption and Children Act 2002 places a duty on local authorities to make provision for advocacy services for Children in Care who wish to make a complaint.