Have your say! » What if I am not happy and find it hard to speak up?

What if I am not happy and find it hard to speak up?

Links within this page:

» What is an advocate?
» What is an Independent Visitor?

If you are not happy about something and find it hard to speak to your social worker you should try speaking to another adult that can help you. This could be another adult you trust like your foster carer, key worker, personal advisor, teacher or social care team manager. If this does not help you can ask for an advocate.

What is an advocate?

An advocate is someone who can work with you and help you to make sure that your views, feelings, thoughts and wishes are heard. Making sure that people know what you think is so important because it means that your views are taken into account when decisions are made about you.

An advocate can attend your review meetings to support you and help you speak up if you need them to; they can also give you information and advice and also help you with making a complaint.

An advocate is independent which means that they do not work for Lambeth Council. If you would like support from an advocate, call Patience Wilson – Lambeth Complaints Manager on 0207 926 6335 or 0207 926 9777.

We work with VOICE for children in care who provide our advocates for you.

If you are unhappy with decisions that have been made about your care you can call VOICE to speak to an advocate. An advocate is someone who speaks up on behalf of someone else and helps them to get the things that they are entitled to.

You can speak to an advocate by calling VOICE's helpline: 0808 800 5792. You can call this number wherever you live in the country. It is open from Monday to Friday 9.30 am - 6.00 pm and it is free to call. VOICE's advocates are highly trained to help children & young people who live in care or in secure settings. They understand the care system and are able to tell children and young people what they are entitled to and how to get things changed. They are independent from Lambeth Council.  They will keep what you say confidential unless you or others are in danger.

An advocate can help you if you:

  • Want support at reviews or other meetings
  • Don't like the plans that have been made about you
  • Are worried about your care
  • Want to complain

We will support anyone in care, those who cannot live at home and feel that they should be in care or young people in secure settings. They have special services for people in care who are:

  • Refugees & separated children
  • Care leavers
  • Those with mental health issues
  • Those with disabilities.

VOICE's advocates also visit children and young people who live in children's homes and secure settings, including Young Offender Institutions and Secure Training Centres. The same advocate(s) will visit regularly and get to know the young people who live there.

To check out their website visit www.voiceyp.org

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What is an Independent Visitor?

If you have had little or no contact with your parents for more than a year, then the law says that you should be provided with an Independent Visitor.

An independent visitor is like your friend, they visit you regularly and like an advocate, help to make sure that your voice is heard. An independent visitor can also help to support you to take part in making decisions about your care.

An independent visitor is a volunteer and is independent from Lambeth Council so this means that they do not work for the Council.  They work for a place called Spurgeons.

If you are interested in having an independent visitor, talk to your social worker or foster carer about this and they can get in contact with Spurgeon's for you.

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