• TGP Cymru Expands Service with Support From AlphaBioLabs

    Jun 15, 2022

    Since receiving a generous donation from AlphaBioLabs, TGP Cymru have been able to expand our Parent Advocacy Service, with the aim of reaching and supporting more families across Wales.

    Parent advocacy is the process of informing parents and carers about their rights, while giving them an outlet to express their views, wishes and feelings about their situation, and ask questions in an open and honest environment. The goal of the parent advocate is to support parents through what can be frightening processes at stressful time of their lives.

    Parents who have used our service to date tell us they feel more involved in decisions about their children and better understand complicated child protection processes. They also feel more confident and better listened to by professionals. This is reflected in the feedback the Parent Advocacy team regularly receive, with quotes like “I felt like a fish out of water before you came” and “I feel like they listened more when you were with me” highlighting the major difference the service can have in the lives of parents.

    The team are currently operating in two locations, with many more coming soon. Following a successful pilot which ended in January 2022, the team launched their service in Merthyr. A pilot is currently underway in Anglesey with the aim of supporting parents with children in Child Protection arena or under the care of the local authority. Two additional pilots are targeted to launch in the coming year, located in Rhondda Cynon Taf and Pembrokeshire. The largest expansion in the works will see the Parent Advocacy team support parents from black and ethnic minority backgrounds whose child/children are the recipients of support from local services. This service will be run across the whole of Wales.

    The recent expansion of the service to support more families wouldn’t be possible without the support of partners like AlphaBioLabs. TGP Cymru are immensely grateful for their contributions over the years and their continues support of our services.