Advocacy and the Independent Visitor

Children's advocacy

From time to time, children and young people who are in care or are close to coming into care, need someone independent to help them have their say.  The person who provides this service is an advocate.  Their job is about ensuring the young person’s views are heard – even if they do not necessarily agree with what the child or young person wants to say.

Milton Keynes Council currently commissions Reconstruct to provide Children’s Advocacy.

Independent visitors

Independent visitors (IV) are people who visit a child or young person who is in care. They will normally have contact once a month. The role is to be friend the child or young person in the way a close and trusted family member might do. Exactly how the child/young person and IV keep contact will vary from person to person - but it will be based around doing something the young person is interested in.

Milton Keynes Council currently commissions Reconstruct to provide Independent Visitors.