ADVOCACY SERVICESSUPPORTING PARENTS WITH

CHILDREN IN CARE

Presented by:

Majella Hynan, Family Advocacy Service, Limerick Social Services Council, Limerick.

Helen Walsh and Eleanor Comber, Clarecare Advocacy Services, Clare Care Ennis.

Eilleen Healy, Partnership and Families Project NTCS,Loreto House,Nenagh.

OVERVIEW

Background to Advocacy Services for Parents of Children in Care in the Midwest Region

Role of Advocacy Workers

Referral criteria

Publications within the service

Some issues identified by Parents

Case Studies

Q & A

BACKGROUND

LIMERICK

The Family Advocacy Service

Managed by Limerick Social Services Council

Clare

Clarecare Advocacy Service

Managed by Clarecare

North Tipperary

Partnership with Families Project

Managed by North Tipperary Community Services

Role of Advocacy Worker:

Child in Care Plan / Child in Care Process

  Liaise with and provide information on appropriate services

Solicitor / Court

Meetings: preparation and accompaniment and follow up afterwards

Offer different levels of support

Role of Advocacy Worker

Support

Individual

1 to 1 meetings

Telephone / text support

 

Group

Monthly facilitated group support and group supervision

Guest speakers

Activities

Role of Advocacy Worker

Educational programmes

- Life Skills Programme - My Child, My Role? - How to Communicate Well - Information Technology – On-Line Safety - Tracing Your Family Tree - Legal Advice Seminars - Promoting Positive Access Programme

Advocacy Services do not:

Furnish written reports for case conferences / courts

Have any decision making powers

Facilitate access visits

Generally attend meetings unless the parent is present

Referral

Criteria

Open to all parents in each specific area with children in the care of Tusla – Child and Family Agency.

Parents must give their consent before contact is made with them

Participation by parents at all times is on a voluntary basis

Referral

Procedure

Referrals can be made at any stage of the child in care process

Contact can be made directly by the parent

- Phone, Text, Post, calling to office, returning signed referral form

Contact can be made via someone of their choice Social Worker, P.H.N. Family Support Worker, Counsellor, Solicitor

Referral

Signed referral form

 

Letter and Authorisation form forwarded to Social Worker

Publications within the services

Families with Children in Care: - A guide to your rights if your child is in care

Advocacy Service Limerick, Clarecare Advocacy Service, The Partnership with Families Project Tipperary.

Research: - Listening to Our Voices- Clarecare Advocacy Service-Family Advocacy Service,

Limerick and Partnership with Families Project Tipperary. Parents’ Input: - Research projects / training / promotion of the service - IFCA - Irish Foster Carers Association - HIQA

Some issues identified by parents

Feelings

Experiences of attending meetings and courts

Expectations

Acknowledgement of changes

Quotes from parents with children in care

“I found the meeting very rushed; they need to slow it down more..

“There are too many of them around the table – you go in upset; you’re a bag of nerves”

“My past is going against me: (they) keep on bringing it up. People can change”.

“My child, when he was in care was able to talk to me about things he may not have been able to talk to his foster carers about”.

“I haven’t always got it right but I need to be listened to more. Parents need to be listened to more”.

CASE STUDIES

CASE STUDY A.

- Short Term Care: Reunification

CASE STUDY B.

- Long Term Care

Benefits of an Advocacy Group (as identified by parents)

Sharing common experiences

We can identify our strengths and weaknesses

You can come in upset – but you leave with a clear mind

We hear other parents’ voices here

Finding out information helps, how this information is delivered is vital

The trust in the group helps parents to build trust with their children, even though it’s a different type of trust.

Quotes from parents with children in care:

“My son often says to me: Dad if you hadn’t been there I would have been lost to you”.

“If I had this group earlier on when my child first went into care, it would have made a big difference. I could have shared my problems and I would have gotten better information”.