What is Advocacy?
Advocacy means getting support from another person to help you get the information you need, help you speak about the things that are important to you, and help you understand your rights. The person who helps you is called an advocate.
Advocates are independent. They do not work for social services.
Anything you talk to your advocate about is confidential unless they think you are in danger, are likely to be a danger to others, or the law tells them they must pass on the information.
What type of things can an advocate help with?
- Help you sort things out with your workers/carers
- Give you support to speak up at meetings
- Listen to what you want and help you to share this
- Help you make a complaint
- Make sure you know your rights
Who can have an Advocate?
You can have an Advocate if:
- You are looked after.
- You need care and support under the Social Services Health and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014.
- You are leaving care. (Offered for anyone aged up to 21 years old or 25 years old if you are in further education)
Independent Visitor
What is an Independent Visitor?
An independent visitor is a volunteer who supports you to engage in activities. They help you try new things, have new experiences, and are a role model and adult friend to you.
Who can have an Independent Visitor?
If you are looked after or are living away from home and have little or no contact with family, you can have an independent visitor.
How do I get an Advocate or Independent Visitor?
Your social worker will have details on how to refer you to an advocate or independent visitor.
If you want to contact them yourself, you can call 0800 4703930 or email cwmtafmorgannwg@tgpcymru.org.uk
For more information on advocacy visit: Cwm Taf Morgannwg Advocacy Service « TGP Cymru
For more information on independent visitors visit: Cwm Taf Morgannwg Independent Visiting Service « TGP Cymru
Your Rights
As a child or young person, you have rights. You have 42 rights under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
These rights mean you can grow up happily, healthily, and safely.
For a list of the rights and what they mean, take a look at this poster: 9681-CCfW-Know-Your-Rights-Poster-Artwork-English_AW.pdf (childcomwales.org.uk)
If you want to learn more about your rights, you can visit the Children’s commissioner for Wales’s website. The Commissioner’s job is to tell people why your rights are so important. You can visit their site here: Children and Young People - Children’s Commissioner for Wales (childcomwales.org.uk)