Local Authority Support

[dispenser]

Please could someone help? What is the name of a professional person who works, usually for the local authority, and helps children or someone who may have difficulty coping on their own with financial/legal problems, that are impartial. These people usually help when it may not be in the child or person needing helps interest for the relative they now reside with to deal with the problem. For e.g. the person they now live with if parents have died may not have the childs best interests at heart.
Thank you to anyone who may be able to help.

[emmie]

perhaps someone in Adult Social care, you could try there first.

[tinkerbell23]

Social work mabye!? Sorry not sure. Good luck x

[rockyracoon]

Are you talking about an advocate. That's what my friend who works in Social Services calls them.

[Nibble]

Maybe this would help:

A children’s advocate is an independent person who works with a child to help them make sure they understand what is happening and that their wishes and feeling are heard. This may be by:

•going to meetings at Children’s Services with the child or
•making sure their point of view is put forward in other ways, like writing letters or making complaints.
In some situations, children are entitled by law to have an advocate, for example, children in care or children who wish to make a complaint about Children’s Services.

Although children’s advocates are independent of the social worker they are organised and paid for by children’s services. So all Children’s Services departments have a Children’s Rights Officer, responsible for providing advocacy for children.

Sometimes the advocacy is also available through an outside agency such as:
National Youth Advisory Service
http://www.nyas.net/index.html

or Barnardos
http://www.barnardos....our_projects/advocacy


Hope this helps!

[dispenser]

Thank you very much for your help. I think an advocate is exactly what I meant. I am really grateful for your help. Thank you very much.