Children in Wales facilities this Group which includes Advocacy providers, Voices From Care, and relevant agencies involved with children and young people’s participation in Wales. The Office of the Children’s Commissioner for Wales also has observer status.

Purpose of the Group

The group has been set up to:

• Promote partnership work and developmental strategies between organisations.
• Facilitate problem solving and resolve potential conflicts of interest.
• Promote the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child and ‘Children’s Rights’ generally.
• Link this group to broader issues of children and young people’s participation in Wales.

Activities

Activities carried out by the group include:

• Providing feedback to the Welsh Assembly Government Advocacy Unit and local commissioners on effectiveness of the tendering process
• Providing a collective campaigning/lobbying voice for the advocacy sector
• Sharing good practice within the framework of the advocacy standards
• Providing a united voice on key issues around statutory systems
• Raising the profile of advocacy across all services (e.g. health and education, child protection etc especially where they are under developed)
• Seeking equity of funding across Wales (explore the costs of a reasonable level of service and endeavour to ensure that such a service is available to all children and young people in Wales)
• Discussing and collaborating on responses to appropriate Welsh Assembly Government consultations.
• Arranging collaborative training

More information is available from Sean O'Neill, Policy Director, Tel: 029 2034 2434, E-mail: sean.oneill@childreninwales.org.uk