VOYPIC offers an independent Advocacy Service for Care experienced young people aged up to 25. VOYPIC’S Advocacy service aims to ensure that young people are aware of their rights and that these rights are upheld. The Advocacy service ensures that Care experienced young people receive the services that they are entitled to and that they are involved in decisions which affect them.
VOYPIC aims to represent the rights of Care experienced young people and ensure that they are involved in decisions that affect them by;
Enabling young people to speak out on their own
Enabling young people to challenge oppression and discrimination
Enabling young people to use and understand the complaints procedures
Enabling young people to participate fully in decisions made about their lives
Informing them of their rights
Informing them about the services to which they are entitled
Enabling them to make informed choices
Encouraging them to ask for services as well as an adherence to their rights
Ensure that the services are appropriate and take account of all their needs
VOYPIC’s Advocacy Service provides different types of Advocacy, ensuring that each approach is tailored to suit the needs of children and young people in terms of age, ability and situation. The different types of Advocacy offered by VOYPIC are;
Duty Advocacy
The Duty Advocacy Service provides children and young people, carers and professionals with Advocacy advice from Monday-Friday 9.30am-5.30pm. The Duty Advocate will be able to give Advocacy advice over the phone or if necessary arrange a time to meet a VOYPIC Advocate in the area. The Duty Advocate can be contacted on telephone: 08450 742 942 or by email:
Individual Advocacy
VOYPIC’S Advocacy Service also provides Individual Advocacy, thus providing a young person with an independent Advocate. The Advocate will work in partnership with the young person in a manner tailored to their needs. Individual Advocacy can be used to inform young people of their rights, provide advice, attend meetings, help the young person request service, negotiate with others, speak out about decisions which affect them and support the young person to make a complaint. Requests for Individual Advocacy can be made by contacting the Duty Advocacy line Tel: 08450 742 942.
Visiting Advocacy Service
The Visiting Advocacy Service aims to empower and protect young people by providing regular visits to their home. Visiting Advocacy provides Children’s Homes with an Advocate who visits the unit monthly. The Visiting Advocate’s job is to build a trusting relationship with the children and young people, and encourage their own contribution to their Care Plan, enabling them to challenge aspects of their Care in an appropriate and positive way. The Advocate’s visit will be fun and creative, providing the young people with an opportunity to participate in a group work program whilst gaining Advocacy support and advice.
Advocacy Surgery
Advocacy Surgery is designed to meet the Advocacy needs of young people in Foster Care or those who have left Care. The Advocacy Surgery provides age appropriate bi-monthly visits in the area, providing the time and space for young people to work alongside an Advocate in a fun and creative way. The Advocacy Surgery aims to provide Advocacy support and advice to those young people living in Foster and After Care. If you would like to find out when the next surgery is in a particular area, contact the Advocacy line tel: 08450 742 942
