Amplifying Voices: Enshrining the Right to Independent Advocacy (2023)
Independent advocacy is a process of helping children and young people to express themselves, empower them to have a say and be heard on issues that affect their life and bring about positive change (with the help of non-governmental professional, known as an Advocate).
At EPIC, we believe that all children and young people with care experience should have the right to independent professional advocacy, as this fulfils a crucial role in enabling them to communicate their wishes and feelings and play an active role in decision-making regarding key aspects of their lives.
EPIC’s position is that the following objectives should be pursued to enhance the right to independent advocacy provision in Ireland.
Independent advocacy should be recognised in legislation, and a monitoring and reporting system for advocacy services should be introduced to ensure that learning from individual advocacy cases leads to improvements in services for all children and young people in care or with care experience.
The development of a statutory framework for advocacy provision should be prioritised, including National Standards and statutory guidance, to improve access to quality independent advocacy services for children and young people in the care system.
The commissioning of advocacy services should consider the full range of legislation and regulation, and services should be commissioned on a minimum three-year basis.
Statutory authorities should work to make children and young people in the care system, and the professionals and other adults involved in their lives, better aware of independent advocacy services and the benefits these services can bring.
