Children in Care Advocacy Service

Tender description

To provide a national (England) advocacy advice service, independent of local authorities, through a telephone helpline and face-to-face meetings where appropriate; for all looked after children, children in need and care leavers who want to make representations, pursue complaints or need other advice and support. The service will operate from 1 January 2017, running to 31 March 2019, with an optional extension period of one year to 31 March 2020. Children in care, looked after children and children in need have a right to express their wishes and feelings when decisions are made about their lives and care. However, they may lack the confidence, trust or communication skills to voice their views and opinions. Every child in the care system has the legal right to be supported by an advocate, if they wish (not every child will want or need an advocate). This can be provided by the local authority, but research indicates that children are often not aware of their entitlement to advocacy provision and that some local authorities are ineffective at commissioning or raising awareness of this service for their children. Therefore, vulnerable children need access to a national advocacy helpline service, so that they can receive advice and support by qualified and experienced advocates when they need it or they do not know where to turn. A maximum of £675k over the initial contract term, with a possible additional £300k for an optional one year extension period.