Children's Advocacy and Independent Visitors

The procurement contact named on the official notice.

Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council publishes Health & Social Care work continuously — 50 notices, roughly one every 9 days. This is a stream to watch, not a cycle to wait for.

20% of Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council’s awards go to a supplier it has used before.

Which is the argument for getting on the list rather than winning this one. The incumbent is rarely the last winner — it is the roster. See the retention odds by category →

Advocacy is about representing the views, wishes and needs of children and young people to professionals making decisions about their lives, and helping them to navigate the system, especially in times of transition.

Advocacy services provide independent and confidential information, advice, representation, support and advocacy for eligible children and young people.

High quality advocacy is an important preventative measure to ensure practical problems do not escalate, that children and young people are protected from harm or risk of harm to their wellbeing and to ensure that potential system level failures are identified and tackled at the earliest opportunity.

Independent Visitors are trained volunteers who can step in to support children within the context of National reforms including FFP and provide a stable adult relationship outside of their care arrangement.

They can visit them where they live and be a friend and mentor as they grow up.

This specification for this service will be based on the National Standards for the Provision of Children and Young People's Advocacy Services 2023.

Addition: Parental Advocacy Parental advocacy is an independent support service.

It helps parents navigate complex children's social care and child protection systems.

Advocates are often peer supporters i.e. parents/family members who have had previous experience of children's social care.

Advocates can: Explain the Child Protection process Help parents understand their rights Help parents communicate with professionals involved for example social workers Help to ensure that parents wishes, feelings and views are heard.

Help parents understand information given to them about their child or children Support parents to find and understand information so they can use it to make choices Help parents prepare for meetings with professionals Go to Child Protection Conferences and Core Group Meetings with parents Provide information about how to make a complaint about Social Care to parents Oldham are exploring this as part of our Families First Partnership Programme.

Free to start. Named contacts come from published notices; the strategy is generated from the buyer’s news, accounts and people.

Five included while we’re in beta, and the agent asks before it spends on any paid step.