Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru | National Assembly for Wales
Y Pwyllgor Plant, Pobl Ifanc ac Addysg | Children, Young People and Education Committee
Ymchwiliad i Eiriolaeth Statudol | Inquiry into Statutory Advocacy Provision
SAP 02
Ymateb gan : ProMo-Cymru
Response from : ProMo-Cymru
ProMo-Cymru
does not offer here any views on the effectiveness of the Welsh
Government's approach to the delivery of statutory advocacy
provision.
However, it is exercised by and wishes to bring to the Inquiry's
attention the fact that there is no reference currently to Meic in
the National Approach. ProMo-Cymru feels strongly that this
is at best, an opportunity missed - at worst - a significant
oversight. This is exacerbated further by the lack of any
reference to Meic within documents supporting commissioning and
procurement processes, marketing and awareness raising digital and
hard copy information, training materials.
As such, ProMo-Cymru feels compelled to respond to the
Inquiry.
While Meic is not a statutory advocacy service provider, Meic
supports and provides the foundation for the advocacy pyramid, as
well as providing a vehicle for movement within and between the
universal, targeted and protective spectrum of face to face service
provision.
Meic's role is twofold: i) to directly support and assist children
and young people (CYP) with the issues they present, thereby
preventing escalation of problems requiring and so, diverting them
from further / statutory intervention, ii) to facilitate the
securing of CYP rights and entitlements and referring them into
statutory / other services as required.
Meic therefore plays a hugely significant role in the delivery of
statutory advocacy provision currently; this could be significantly
enhanced for the benefit of children and young people, as well as
professional stakeholders, including providers and commissioners.
(See below for details).
Rights based, and with over 30 years experience in the facilitation
of coproduction and user engagement through digital technology and
multiple remote channels ProMo-Cymru is the organisation leading on
the delivery and implementation of Meic - https://www.meiccymru.org/
- the independent, bilingual, free and confidential information,
advice and advocacy to children and young people up to the age of
25 in Wales
Meic is
• High volume, low cost information and assistance services to
users and professionals delivered by a team of experienced and
qualified staff
• Low threshold, multi-channel with no physical constraints to
access – through: webchat, landline, mobile phone, text,
email, available up to 16 hours per day, 7 days per week, 365 days
per year
• Coproduced with service user and professional engagement
through user-generated content / news, problem shared, invitation
to and sharing of comment
• Provides: i) information, ii) signposting, iii) transfer
options if busy / unavailable, iv) direct representation, v) self
help, vi) referral to relevant agency, vii) referral to statutory /
independent advocacy service provider
No Response
As an
actively participating member of the Advocacy Providers' group
facilitated by Children in Wales (CIW), ProMo-Cymru is aware of the
journey and latest position regarding the implementation of the
National Approach.
Based on the knowledge and experience shared within that group,
ProMo-Cymru welcomes the progress made by Welsh Government to date
and the efforts made to enable local authorities to implement the
National Approach locally / regionally.
However, we support the concerns expressed by the group with regard
to the time taken to get to this latest position, and the continued
absence of a clear time frame / commitment from most local
authorities to roll out the National Approach. We would
suggest that this can only be to the detriment of children and
young people potentially or actually in need of advocacy
services.
We are also concerned about the lack of clearly defined scrutiny
and accountability arrangements for ensuring the monitoring, review
and evaluation of the National Approach, and the absence of the
young person's voice in informing and contributing to
this.
What impact has Part 10 of the Social Services and Well-being Act 2014 had on advocacy provision?
Anecdotally,
and based on discussions with commissioners and policy makers
within local authorities regionally and locally, ProMo-Cymru
suggests that to date, Part 10 has had very little impact:
a) there continues to be a lack of understanding and awareness of
advocacy (despite the very good online resource and training
tools)
b) a perception that all CYP advocacy is covered by the National
Approach and separate from Part 10
c) there is patchy and inconsistent commissioning
d) there are suggestions that commissioning and procurement will be
targeting resources at the Independent Professional Advocacy duty
exclusively, undermining the prevention / golden thread principle
of the Act
ProMo-Cymru
suggests the key priority areas as follows:
1. There needs to be a clear and preferably integrated interface
between the National Approach and Part 10, so all CYP, regardless
of category, have fair and equal entitlement to the golden thread
of advocacy that runs through the Social Services and Well-Being
Act
2. This interface needs to be clear in defining seamlessness of
entitlement to advocacy with regard to prevention and safeguarding
for children and young people not covered by the National Approach,
to ensure Part 10 is not interpreted and implemented by local
authorities and health solely and exclusively in respect of
adults.
3. Commissioning and procurement of services need to make specific
references to expectations around promotion and marketing of Meic
to children, young people and professionals, as well as service
delivery and operational aspects including evidence of signposting
children and young people to Meic.
4. Ideally, we would like to see commissioning and procurement
arrangements locally specifying Meic as a Single Point of Entry
(SPOE) into advocacy service provision, to ensure low threshold
access to an independent, impartial, external service. This
would have the added benefit of generating robust and uniform
quantitative and qualitative data, in turn providing reliable and
consistent evidence of need / unmet need.
5. Meic needs to be offered to children and young people as part of
any active offer.
No Response
In
identifying one thing Welsh Government could do to improve
statutory advocacy service provision for children and young people,
this would be to continue to provide strong strategic leadership,
and challenge any resistance to the fundamental underpinning
purpose and rationale for statutory advocacy, in the context of the
UNCRC and Welsh Government's vision and mission of promoting and
protecting children's rights.
No Response