A day in the life...
...of an Advocacy Worker
When a child is judged to be ‘at risk', the discussions around their future traditionally take place behind closed doors.
In North Ayrshire however, our advocacy service, in partnership with North Ayrshire Council Social Services, has taken the radical approach of supporting these children to have a say in the decisions affecting their lives.
Advocacy worker Marianne Paterson explains . . .
As soon as a child's name has been put on the child protection register, they are referred to the project. I go to their home to meet them for the first time and explain how advocacy could support them. The service is run on a voluntary basis, so the children can choose whether or not to accept support, but most of them do.
For children, being on the child protection register can be very scary. They don't know the system and can feel frightened, powerless and resentful. Most of them believe that nothing they say will make a difference, and it is really satisfying to be able to help them see that their opinions do count.
I usually meet the child or young person once a week, either at the CHILDREN 1ST project in Irvine or at their school. I use drawings, photos, video and animation to allow them to make their voices heard. The idea is to increase their self-confidence so that they feel able to speak out and attend their own review case conference.
Some the children have chaotic lives and the idea of anyone listening to their opinions or of them trusting adults is a new concept, so it can take time to explain why people want to hear their views. They may also be placed in residential or foster care, and if that happens I will continue to support them to talk about their fears and concerns.
As well as their rights, I also talk to them about their responsibilities. They have to respect others as they will be respected by those at the meeting. Many haven't had good role models, so it's important they know how to express their views in a positive and productive manner.
I remember two young sisters who had been referred because of their mother's drinking. The mother claimed it was their fault she drank, due to the stress they caused her. However after supporting them for several months, the girls were able to accept it wasn't their fault and to tell her mother how bad they felt when she blamed them. Hearing that had a real effect on her and she managed to reduce her alcohol intake, eventually leading to the girls being taken off the child protection register.Working intensively with a child on an individual basis means I can often see a change in them very quickly. All the children I work with have had to deal with a lot, but by supporting them at a very difficult time I hope I can play a part in helping them to become better adult survivors.
Since it was set up four years ago, the advocacy service has been identified as a key strength and as an example of good practice in an HMIE joint inspection of services to protect children and young people in North Ayrshire, and as an example of good practice by the Social Work Inspection Agency (SWIA).
I think that together we have created a very positive child protection system here in North Ayrshire, but there is still room for improvement. My next aim is to make the meeting rooms where the case conferences take place more child friendly, so that the children who come to the meetings feel as comfortable as possible, and that they have a right to be there and have a say in their lives.
