I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 regarding the delivery of in-house advocacy services for children and young people within your Local Authority. For the purposes of this request, in-house advocacy refers to advocacy services delivered directly by Local Authority staff or teams, rather than commissioned from or subcontracted to an external provider. This includes any model where the Local Authority retains direct responsibility for service delivery, staffing, and oversight. Please provide responses to the following questions:

Section A: Decision-Making and Review
1. What year did your children’s advocacy service move to in-house delivery?

2. What was the reason or rationale for bringing the children’s advocacy service in-house?
• Please include any strategic, financial, or service-related considerations that informed the decision.

3. What is the process and timeline for reviewing this decision to ensure it continues to meet the needs and rights of children and young people?
• Please include any mechanisms for stakeholder feedback, service evaluation, or external scrutiny.

Section B: Service Delivery and Standards
4. What measures are in place to ensure advocacy remains independent when delivered by Local Authority staff?
Please include:
• Any policies, procedures, or structural safeguards to prevent conflicts of interest
• How children and young people are informed about the independence of the advocacy service
• Whether staff receive external or independent supervision

5. How does your in-house advocacy service align with the National Standards for the Provision of Children’s Advocacy Services (Department for Education)?
Please include:
• Any frameworks, tools, or internal policies used to support compliance
• How adherence to the standards is monitored or evaluated

Section C: Out-of-Area Arrangements
6. What arrangements are in place to ensure children and young people placed outside your Local Authority area continue to receive independent advocacy?
Please include:
• Whether advocacy is delivered by your in-house team, commissioned externally, or arranged via reciprocal agreements
• Any policies or procedures that guide advocacy provision for out-of-area placements