Giving disabled children a voice
How you can use your voice to give disabled children theirs
E-mail your MP and ask them to sign our Early Day Motion - Advocacy for looked-after children tabled by Joan Humble MP
Over 30 campaigning organisations have signed a statement in support of independent advocacy.
We've designed some information for disabled children and young people who would like to write to their MPs. There is also a children and young person's version for them to email their MP .
Why we're asking you to help
13,300 disabled children are placed away from home in England. They live in hospitals, special schools and residential homes, often miles away from home.
Complex disabilities can mean they have serious difficulty communicating. When they feel isolated, unhappy, lonely or unsafe, there is often no-one who understands them. Disabled children are over three times more likely to be physically or sexually abused than other children.
What are we doing?
We are campaigning to ensure all disabled children placed away from home can have access to an independent advocate - to give them a voice and to keep them safe.
An independent advocate visits disabled children and young people and has the right skills to understand them. They help them get across their views in whatever is the best way for them, to know their rights and to help them take part in decisions that affect their lives.
A survey of advocacy services across England carried out by The Children’s Society between April and December 2006 found alarmingly that a quarter of advocacy providers surveyed reported that they had not been able to respond to a referral from a disabled child.
The Children and Young Persons Bill which is currently before parliament provides an excellent opportunity to do this. The aim of the bill is to improve outcomes for children in the care system and we firmly believe that professional independent advocacy must be integral to the strategy. We are asking our supporters to send emails to their MPs asking them to support independent advocacy by signing an EDM.
An Early Day Motion (EDM) is an important campaigning tool in showing the Government just how much support there is for an issue. It is therefore crucial that as many MPs as possible sign the EDM to show their support.
