Advocacy and Complaints
What's our aim?
We want children and young people to be more able and confident to 'self advocate' ie speak up for themselves to make sure:
- they fully understand the decisions being made by professionals and also how these decisions will impact on their life
- that these professionals fully understand what the young person wishes for and how they feel about the decisions affecting their life
Young people will have more opportunities to express their wishes and feelings and to have a direct say about the issues that affect their lives, whether they are making a complaint, trying to resolve a problem or meeting with professionals.
What's our belief?
We believe that all staff working with children and young people have an advocacy role to play and that it is often better to avoid unnecessarily introducing more adults into children's lives.
Our message to workers is that: Advocacy starts with you unless you feel your 'hands are tied' or the young person wishes to make a complaint and asks for independent advocacy support to do so.
Advocacy services in Surrey are provided by Reconstruct. If you would like more information about the support they can provide, or to access an advocate, please visit Advocacy for children in care.
If you wish to speak to someone further regarding advocacy support or to make a complaint, please speak to your personal adviser in the first instance, or contact the Surrey Customer Relations team using their email: be.heard@surreycc.gov.uk
