Residential Visiting Advocacy Service – Service User

What is a Residential Visiting Advocate?

A Residential Visiting Advocate is someone who will visiting a private residential care home to ensure that the young people there are looked after properly. This advocate will usually visit once a month, they will get to know you, and create a safe space to share your feelings openly.

The care homes pay for this service, however the Residential Visiting Advocate is independent of the home and works for you. The advocate can speak to you in private and listen if you have any issues you would like to raise.  This may be an issue about the residential care home, or it could be about anything else in your life you need help with.

Issues raised about the care home will be provided as an anonymised report to the manager of the care home, meaning no complaints can be traced back to you. The advocate can also contact Social Workers and other people on your behalf.

How can we help?

The Residential Visiting Advocate can help you:

• Express your wishes and feelings about the home where you live.
• Speak up and have your voice heard.
• Stand up for your rights.
• Raise a concern if you are unhappy about something or if something is worrying or bothering you.

How does the Residential Visiting Advocacy Service Work?

The team covers care homes across the whole of Wales. There are currently over 25 homes who use the service. Most of these homes are in Northeast Wales, but there are also some in North Wales, Powys, Neath Port Talbot and Cardiff. Visits from the advocate will take place every month. These mainly take place after school or early evening during the week.

The Residential Visiting Advocates are a small team of people who help young people living in residential care to have a voice and to be able to speak up about things that are important to them.