Disabled Children
What is advocacy? and different types of advocacy
Advocacy is helping children and young people get their views across and take part in decisions that affect their lives.
Advocacy involves speaking up for children and young people, making sure their rights are respected and their views and wishes are heard and acted upon by decisions makers.
Why advocacy is needed
The Children's Society believes that all disabled children should have the opportunity to use an advocacy service, however for disabled children placed away from home there is an even greater need for advocacy.
A report commissioned by the DfES1 in 2005 estimated that 13,300 disabled children in England are in long term residential placements, in education, social care and health settings.
Advocacy and the law
The child's right to be heard in matters affecting them is enshrined in Article 12 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child which also stipulates that 'the child shall in particular be provided the opportunity to be heard in any judicial and administrative proceedings affecting the child, either directly, or through a representative or an appropriate body'.
How we have helped
"They had secrets about me, I wasn't allowed to know, Hannah [advocate] arranged for me to go to the meeting, she came with me, I was scared, Hannah made sure they explained things so I could understand."
Our Advocacy Projects
The Children's Society's projects providing advocacy to disabled children and young people
