A report by the Children’s Commissioner has found that many looked-after children are failing to receive the support they are entitled to when important decisions about their care are being taken. The report – Helping children get the care experience – conducted interviews with children in care finding:
- 55% of children in care were unaware of their entitlement to an advocate to support them during meetings.
- There were inconsistencies among English councils in provision and funding of advocacy support, eligibility criteria used and the availability of advocates.
- The budget local authorities allocated to advocacy support ranged from £2 to £668 per child.
- Only 60% of local authorities said they provided advocacy to disabled children who were receiving services.
- Half of local authorities supported less than one in 14 children considered eligible for an advocate.
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