Our specialist advocate Emma Robinson is offering the following virtual training session on Zoom:
Please note: this is not an introduction to non-instructed advocacy (NIA), which is covered in a separate training course. Participants will be expected to have already undertaken NIA training and/or had significant experience of advocating for young people on a non-instructed basis. This is also not an introduction to complaints, and some prior knowledge of the Children Act complaints process will be useful.
Course outline:
At Coram Voice we know that there are many advocates providing valuable support to young people who cannot give them instructions. For example a young person may have a disability which impacts their capacity to understand and communicate about a specific advocacy issue. Advocates are already working hard to ensure that disabled young people have their rights respected and wishes considered, for example by making representations and attending meetings on their behalf.
However sometimes issues are harder to resolve, and a complaint may be required. We believe that young people with disabilities have the same right to complain as any other young person, and that if they cannot complain for themselves, an advocate may need to do this on their behalf. However the practicalities of this are not always easy! Many advocates are telling us they lack confidence when making non-instructed complaints. This session will look at some of the challenges of NIA complaints, and give useful practical tips on how to go about making them. This will include reflecting on how to appropriately word and structure NIA complaints, as well as how to ensure they remain within advocacy boundaries, and are most likely achieve positive advocacy outcomes.
Important notes:
To ensure you are able to participate fully in the session, you be sent some resources/ example complaints in advance. We ask that you are able to commit to reading these before the session. The reading should take no more than 40 minutes. Please do not sign up if you are unable to set this time aside during the few days prior to the online training date. Resources will be emailed in advance and you will be asked to bring these along to the virtual event.
- Spaces are limited: For those external to Coram Voice, there is currently no cost to join these sessions, but we may have to limit places to one person per organization, if the workshops are oversubscribed.
- Joining instructions will be distributed once places are confirmed.
Spaces will be offered on a first-come-first-served basis.
To request a place, please complete the form below. Please contact our learning and development team if you have any queries learning.dev@coramvoice.org.uk