Children’s Hearings Advocacy
If you’re a child or a young person attending a Children’s Hearing, it is important that you get to say how you feel and what you want. Your Hearing is all about you.
An Advocacy Worker can help you with this.
An Advocacy Worker can help you to:
| 🗣 | Say how you feel and what you want |
| 🤔 | Ask questions and understand what is happening |
| ✊ | Understand your rights |
We will be on your side, helping you to say what you want. We are independent from everyone else and only work for you.
CAPS Advocacy Workers can help you if you’re:
- aged 5-18
- live in East Lothian or Midlothian
- are being supported by the Children’s Hearings System
Contact us for help from an Advocacy Worker or for more information:
Call the Children and Young People’s Advocacy Team on 0131 273 5236
Or email us at ypadvocacy@capsadvocacy.org you can also ask a grown-up to contact us for you if you would prefer that.
What does an Advocacy Worker do?
- An Advocacy Worker can meet you before your Hearing and talk to you about what is happening and what you want to say in your Hearing.
- They can come with you to the Hearing and help you to talk to the panel about how you are feeling and what you want.
- They can explain what is happening on the day, can help you understand what your rights are and can help you find out more information if you want to.
What does an Advocacy Worker not do?
- We won’t make any decisions about what we think is best for you, give you advice or tell you what to do.
- We aren’t lawyers so we can’t give legal advice.
- We won’t do anything unless you ask us to.
Will my Advocacy Worker talk to other people about my situation?
CAPS Advocacy Workers are totally independent. This means we are not part of any other service and we only work for you. We will not talk to other people about your situation unless you ask us to. The only time where we might have to talk to someone about you without you saying it’s okay is if we’re very worried about you or another person’s safety. We would always try to talk to you about this first.
Do I have to pay anything?
No. All our help is free so you don’t have to pay us anything. All our work with children and young people is paid for by the Scottish Government.
What if I change my mind?
It is your choice and you can start and stop advocacy at any time. The decision is yours.
How can I get an Advocacy Worker?
You can refer yourself to the service or an adult can do it for you. It is important to remember that we only work for you, and not the person who has referred you.
Contact us for help from an Advocacy Worker or for more information:
- call the Children and Young People’s Advocacy Team on 0131 273 5236
- email us at ypadvocacy@capsadvocacy.org
- you can also ask an adult to contact us for you if you would prefer.
If I am a professional or family member can I make a referral?
Yes, but it is up to the child or young person whether they want to work with us. They do not have to work with us just because they have been referred. It is their choice. We will share any information you give us in the referral with the child or young person.
It is also important to remember that we only work for the child or young person, and not the person who has referred them.
Where can I find out more?
For more information please see this leaflet: Advocacy for Children’s Hearings East Lothian and Midlothian
For more information on what to expect from your hearing visit SCRA’s website:
Information for Children and Information for Young People
For information about complaints please see: Complaint Form (CYP) and Making a Complaint (CYP)
Where can I find out more?
For more information please see this leaflet: Children and Young People’s Individual Advocacy Leaflet and this leaflet: Advocacy for Children’s Hearings
For more information on what to expect from your hearing visit SCRA’s website:
Information for Children and Information for Young People
For information about complaints please see: Complaint Form (CYP) and Making a Complaint (CYP)