Provision of a Parent Peer Advocacy and Support Service in Neath Port Talbot and Swansea

An award has been made by Neath Port Talbot Council for the provision of a Parent Peer Advocacy and Support Service for the West Glamorgan region (which incorporates the Neath Port Talbot and the City and County of Swansea unitary authority areas).The Parent Peer Advocacy and Support Service aims to improve and enhance the West Glamorgan regional advocacy network by creating a new form of peer advocacy and peer support for Parent Carers who are going through the child protection process, statutory assessment and/or the looked after children system.Traditionally, peer advocacy has been viewed as a form of ‘informal advocacy’ which is provided by peer groups on a voluntary basis. Furthermore, the role of an advocate has traditionally been associated with a specific advocacy remit which does not ordinarily provide outcome based support to Parent Carers.The Purchaser seeks to pilot a new service model and to commission a Provider to deliver a professional level of peer advocacy and outcomes based peer support to Parent Carers.To deliver this Service, the Provider will employ, train and support a pool of ‘Parent Peer Advocate & Support Workers’ who themselves have direct, lived experience of the child protection system or the children looked after system, either as a parent or as a primary care giver.This is an innovative and pilot Service which is the first of its kind both regionally and within Wales. The Provider will be expected to work collaboratively with the Purchaser and to adopt a continuous development approach throughout the Agreement Period to ensure the Service successfully grows and develops to effectively achieve the Service aims and objectives.For the avoidance of doubt, this Service will not replace any existing forms of statutory advocacy services, rather, it will expand and enhance the choice of available advocacy support to Parent Carers within the regional advocacy network.TUPE Regulations will not apply to the mobilisation of the Service.