SAVE (Sandwell Advocacy Voice and Empowerment)

Advocacy, Enabling and Support service for children and young people who are experiencing poor mental health and/or behavioural issues that empowers them to ensure that their rights are respected, and their views and wishes are heard.

This Project is completely independent and provides qualified advocacy practitioners to provide one to one person centred advocacy support. We will work to build a trusting relationship to directly support children and young people and ensure that their needs, rights and wishes are articulated when accessing, planning and delivering their support and care services. Users of this service will be empowered to articulate their views and placed at the heart of the decision making process when engaging with other services and professionals.

The Project will support children and young people to:
• Build confidence and skills to enable them to speak up for themselves so that they feel listened to and involved in decision making
• Have choices regarding accessing appropriate support services.

Opening hours

	Morning	Afternoon	Evening
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday

Accessibility details

Fully accessible. Building is all on level ground.

Staff qualifications

Diploma in Independent Advocacy

Additional notes

Access and Referral Criteria REFERRALS: Sandwell Advocacy receives referrals from the following: • Individuals directly (self-referrals) • From their family or friends (third-party) • From other services/agencies Referrals may be taken over the telephone, email, face-to-face or through our website. ACCESS CRITERIA: To access advocacy support from the SAVE project individuals: • Must be aged between 5-18 • Must be a resident in Sandwell. • Must have poor mental health and/or behavioural issues (does not have to have a diagnosis) • Must have a SPECIFIC and IDENTIFIED advocacy issue that is related to poor mental health and or behavioural issues (see information below). • The advocacy relationship is directed by the young person, not a third party, unless otherwise agreed. • A specific and identified advocacy issue might be: • A young person feels that no-one is listening to them, where they feel they have little or no control over decisions being made about them. • A young person requires information and/or support to access relevant services/services such as mental health services, education providers, Children’s Social Care. • Support to access relevant information to increase knowledge and understanding on issues that young people face • Support at reviews, assessments, meetings and/or case conferences etc, where a young person may find such • situations intimidating and/or they need support or are unable to articulate their views and wishes. • Whilst meeting the above criteria, Sandwell Advocacy will also prioritise and target advocacy support to the following: • Young people who are not currently accessing support services where a clear identified need to do so exists, or where services they are accessing are not adequately meeting their needs. • Young people who are isolated, excluded and/or marginalised who feel that they have no other appropriate person to speak up for them (this includes family members, carers, guardians etc). Where a referral is received from an agency or third party, Sandwell Advocacy needs to be satisfied that the individual being referred has consented to them passing on their details to us. Consent MUST be obtained prior to making a referral. Advocacy should not substitute the work of more appropriate agencies where they exist (such as CAMHS, BEAM, KOOTH etc), but may support young people to access them where required and directed to do so.

Categories

MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL WELLBEING, SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS & DISABILITIES, SCHOOL LIFE/BEHAVIOUR AND PEER RELATIONSHIPS