Provision of Advocacy and Independent Visitor Service for Children and Young People in Care

The Council are seeking a suitably qualified and experienced organisation to provide an Advocacy and Independent Visitor Service. The aim of the service is to work in partnership with the children & young people and Buckinghamshire County Council to provide an accessible and responsive Independent visitor and advocacy service for children looked after by Buckinghamshire County Council. The service will play a vital role in improving outcomes for children & young people, and will enable them to lead full and purposeful lives in their communities. The organisation will need to operate an advocacy service, that meets the Advocacy Services and Representations Procedure (Children) (Amendments) Regulations 2004 and the National Standards for the Provision of Children's Advocacy Services 2002 through the use of paid staff and volunteers. To make this Service available, as required, to every child and young person looked after by Buckinghamshire County Council, and to those children and young people in child protection Conferences and family group Conferences on a spot purchase basis. Every looked after child and young person have the right to have an independent visitor to ensure that they are supported within the looked after system. Independent Visitors are a statutory requirement under the Children Act 1989 and are adult volunteers who befriend children and young people and ensure that young people's needs and wishes are heard. Independent Visitors befriend and support children and young people who are looked after. The contract will be awarded for 3 years with a possibility to extend for a further two years, depending on performance and availability of funding.