25 Sep 19
Say hello to AdvoCat, our new advocacy superhero aimed at encouraging young children in care to access independent advocacy to help them express their views when decisions are made about their lives.
AdvoCat, an animated superhero character, will feature in a series of new videos to explain in a fun and engaging way to children aged 11 and under what advocacy is and how it can help them to get their voices heard.
Though our work delivering the national advocacy advice line Always Heard and our work with other advocacy providers we know that the younger children are, the less likely they are to know about advocacy. We also know that many of the youngest children do not fully understand their situation, with findings from Coram Voice’s 2018 Bright Spots survey showing that only 51% of four to seven year olds felt that they had been given a full explanation as to why they were in care, compared to 82% of 11-18 year olds.
This is why we worked with a group of primary aged children to find out what would help them understand and engage with advocacy. Their solution was AdvoCat – the everyday superhero who helps children get their voices heard loud and clear!
We are pleased to launch AdvoCat as part of our new improved website, which we hope will raise awareness of the role of advocates and how they can help children navigate the care system and ensure that their views and rights are taken into account by decision makers.
You can watch the first AdvoCat video and read more about this exciting new development here