Helping Charlotte

What was Charlotte’s situation before working with Advocacy Focus? 

Charlotte* was 16 years old, living with her mum and younger sister. She was put on a Child Protection Plan because she disclosed that her mum was drinking alcohol heavily and often left her and her sister alone for long periods. Concerns were also raised about her mum’s partner being abusive and controlling. Charlotte was referred to Advocacy Focus following the second review conference for the family, but it took time to make contact with her because Charlotte’s direct contact details were missing from the referral.   

What did the Advocate do to help Charlotte? 

The Advocate contacted Children’s Social Care and found out that the original social worker had left. They got in touch with the new social worker, who gave them Charlotte’s direct contact details. The Advocate called Charlotte and arranged to meet her at home before the next review conference. 

During their meeting, Charlotte said she wanted to attend the upcoming meeting to share her views about the Child Protection Plan and ask some questions, especially to the police. Charlotte worked with the Advocate to write a report about her thoughts, feelings and questions she wanted answers to. Charlotte asked the Advocate to check the meeting arrangements and share the report with the conference chair after showing it to her first. 

The Advocate wrote the report and made sure Charlotte was happy with it before sending it to the social worker and conference chair. They also found out the meeting date had changed and made sure Charlotte, and her mum were told about the new date. Though the Advocate couldn’t attend the meeting themselves, Charlotte said she still wanted to go and asked if she could bring the report to help her remember what to say. Before the meeting, the advocate helped Charlotte prepare by practicing what to say. The Advocate also let the meeting organisers know that Charlotte would still be coming. 

The meeting chair appreciated the effort the Advocate put into helping Charlotte and promised to check in with her during the meeting to make sure she felt okay, understood everything, and could take breaks if she needed them. 

What was the outcome? 

Thanks to the Advocate’s support, Charlotte now felt confident to speak up at the meeting. During the meeting, Charlotte was able to share her views, ask questions, and feel heard. Afterwards, the Advocate called to check in with her. Charlotte was pleased with the outcome: she was now on a ‘Child in Need’ plan, which was what she wanted. Charlotte said having the report with her and practicing what to say made speaking up in the meeting much easier. 

Why was advocacy support so effective? 

Advocacy support worked well because it gave Charlotte the confidence to share her thoughts and achieve the outcome she hoped for. By listening to Charlotte, the Advocate was able to create an accurate report for her to look at before the meeting, which helped Charlotte feel prepared. They also communicated openly with everyone involved, making sure Charlotte got the support she needed and ability to share her views. The Advocate didn’t give up on contacting Charlotte, even when there were delays, which meant Charlotte had the chance to share her thoughts in a way that felt comfortable and less stressful for her.  

*Names have been changed to protect the identity of the people we support.