Staff at Headlands strive to advocate on young people’s behalf. This process includes;Preparing children for the big decision making processes in their lives e.g. LAC reviews
Use the relationships we have with young people to support them to be heard, even when this is challenging or in conflict with decisions made by other professionals in the system
Striving to understand the level of ability and understanding of the child
We advocate for children when they have left their placement at Headlands if they request this, part of what is called “Lifetime Membership”.
We acknowledge however, that there are times when a young person may want or need an independent adult to support them. We employ an independent advocacy service so all young people have a series of meetings, which allows them to talk with a trusted adult separate from the system if needed.
We support and facilitate the independent advocates provided to children through the Looked After Children system.