All of the children being supported must understand your role and agree to your involvement. The Scottish Children’s Services Coalition is committed to ensuring that care experienced children and young people in Scotland have a statutory right to independent advocacy services.. We also use non-essential cookies to help us improve our websites. 22. out more about cookies, Coronavirus (COVID-19): what you need to know. Advocacy Service Aberdeen. Children of 12 and over are presumed to be sufficiently old and mature to have a general understanding of what it means to exercise that right, therefore they have the required capacity. This is known as collective advocacy. 7. Date: 25th June 2018 Time: 09:00 - 16:35 Location: Law Society of Scotland Atria One, 144 Morrison Street Edinburgh EH3 8EX Advocacy skills can be crucial in shaping the outcome of a case. Access independent advocacy for children and young people. Ref no: CHI00007; Published: 11/9/2020; Closes: 28/9/2020; Location: Glasgow/West of Scotland, G51 1PR; Salary: Starting at £30,708 with progression to £36,121 ; Contract Type: Permanent; Position Type: Full Time; Hours: 30 hours per week; This position has expired. Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC) is the national approach to improving the wellbeing of children and young people. Advocacy is an equal partnership between young people and their Who Cares? (section 27). If you think you would benefit from our help, or know someone who might, then contact us using the telephone number below. Advocates might find the following practical advice helpful when supporting children: An example of a tool that can be used to help inform a child about advocacy, and demonstrate that the child has understood and agrees to advocacy, is available to download on this page as a pdf. The existence of a duty of confidentiality, however, does not depend on a child's capacity. The Mental Health (Care & Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 identifies that every person with a mental disorder has a right to independent advocacy. (sections 8 and 11), When considering whether to provide information concerning the child's wellbeing to or by the Named Person, the information holder should ascertain and have regard to the views of the child or young person, taking account of the child's age and maturity. In Scotland, children under the age of 16 who are deemed to have the necessary capacity have that same right of consent or refusal. Project Lead - Child and Family Support and Advocacy. (section 2), Every person with a mental disorder has a right of access to independent advocacy. 4. To find out about accessing advocacy for a young person, or if you are a young person who wants to speak to an advocate in your area, click here to find out who is available in your area. Advocates do not make choices for children – instead, they support children and young people to make their own choices. What child advocates do. You can contact us directly about you, a friend, a relative or a someone you care for, whether or not you are paid to care for them. In some instances, children are entitled to independent advocacy support. An individual or organization engaging in advocacy typically seeks to protect children's rights which may be abridged or abused in a number of areas. Working together to create a stronger community where people are valued. Explanation of decisions to the child. One-to-one advocacy and collective advocacy for children and young people who: – are care experienced up to the age of 26 – involved in Child Protection proceedings – up to 19 years old with additional support needs – up to 19 years old and subject to intervention under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 It is important that a child fully trusts the individual who is advocating on their behalf. With thanks to Scottish Local Authorities, funding partners and donors who make our work possible. Scotland is a registered charity SC 026076. Who Cares? We use this information to make our website as easy for you to use as possible. An advocate must never promote or support any other individual or organisation's needs or wishes (including their own) when they are advocating for a child. People covered by the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act (including people who have a mental health issue, a learning disability, autism or dementia) have a legal right to independent advocacy. If your needs don’t match the criteria here, you can find information on other independent advocacy providers at the Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance website . There are however some exceptions. At 16, a young person has full legal capacity. A decision which supports the realisation of a five-year-old child's rights may not have the same positive impact on a 15-year-old. SIAA, the national membership body for independent advocacy organisations in Scotland. Scotland is a national voluntary organisation, working with care experienced young people and care leavers across Scotland. IAPK provides confidential and free independent advocacy. Pictured: Radical change is needed so that children in care can ‘live their life as any other child would’. In general, a child under 16 has legal capacity to enter into a transaction 'of a kind commonly entered into by persons of his age and circumstances', provided the terms of the transaction are 'not unreasonable'. A child may speak directly to the Sheriff; give their views to a Curator ad litem or Reporting Officer; or be legally represented. Failure to obey order. Or call the National Office on 0141 226 4441 for help. Information and advice about how and when to share such concerns. Scotland offer both individual professional advocacy and collective advocacy through their work with the TNT (Today, not Tomorrow) and Crafty Foxes groups. It aims to support children in all areas of their lives. 6. (sections 4 and 84), How can views be expressed? We're there for young people who need someone to support them, protect their rights and help them speak out. The 'data subject' (i.e. Scotland worker. the person about whom records, whether manual or electronic, are held) has the right to consent to, or refuse, access to his or her records. There is only one independent advocacy organisation for children and young people in Scotland. The individual members of the group may support each other over specific issues. Scotland Faculty of Advocates. If this is to work effectively, then it is crucial that children, young people and families are supported to understand what help is possible and what their choices may be. Disabled young people can struggle to develop friendships and wider social networks independent of parents and paid carers (though parents frequently strive to facilitate this process), so it is particularly important that advocacy identifies and faithfully articulates their views. In considering an application relating to parental responsibilities, parental rights, guardianship or administration of child's property, a court must: A child is presumed to be of sufficient age and maturity at age 12. We’re independent to any care services a young person receives – this is crucial because we want young people to be supported and understood with no conflict of interest. These are small files which a website sends to your device, to make a website remember you when you visit.