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?
Wokingham has historically had an in-house model. During 2024–25, the service was temporarily commissioned to NYAS while the post and service model were reviewed. This arrangement ensured continuity of advocacy provision during the evaluation period. In Wokingham, we have a commitment to advocacy being provided for children and young people when they need it and providing this service in-house enables flexibility and timeliness.
Wokingham offers the following independent services, which give children and young people in receipt of children’s social care their own voice: • Advocacy • Information and advice around children and young people’s rights • Facilitation of complaints by children/young people about services they receive from Wokingham Borough Council • Independent Visiting

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.
The rationale for maintaining an in-house model includes:
- Aligning advocacy provision with local safeguarding priorities and ensuring direct oversight of quality and compliance.
- In-house delivery offers greater cost control and flexibility compared to ongoing external commissioning.
- An in-house advocate provides consistency, stronger integration with local teams, and quicker response times for children and young people.
Currently, recruitment is underway for a full-time advocate post. NYAS continues to provide advocacy during this interim period to avoid service gaps.
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.
The decision to maintain an in-house advocacy service will be subject to ongoing review to ensure it continues to meet the needs and rights of children and young people. The review process includes:
- Direct feedback from children and young people through advocacy sessions, participation groups, and satisfaction surveys.
- Input from Independent Reviewing Officers, social workers, and carers on the effectiveness of advocacy provision.
- Quarterly monitoring of advocacy activity, including timeliness, accessibility, and outcomes.
- Analysis of reports provided by the advocate highlighting impact and areas for improvement.
External scrutiny and oversight will be provided by the Berkshire West Safeguarding Children’s Partnership and Wokingham Borough Councils’ Corporate Parenting Board.

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
The Children’s Rights and Advocacy service is part of the Quality Assurance and Safeguarding Standards Service. Whilst sitting within the Children’s Directorate, they retain independence from the social work teams and their line management. Independence is reinforced through adherence to statutory guidance under the Children Act 1989 and National Standards for Advocacy.
• How children and young people are informed about the independence of the advocacy service: Our leaflet (attached) explains the independence of the service and the advocate’s role. The advocate also discusses this verbally with the referring person and child before advocacy takes place, ensuring clarity and trust.
• Whether staff receive external or independent supervision: Supervision takes place Monthly by the Children’s Services Participation Manager and focuses on advocacy practice, ethical standards, and safeguarding independence.

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
Our in-house advocacy service aligns with the Department for Education’s National Standards through the following measures: We produce a quarterly advocacy report which is shared with our children’s services leadership team and annual report which is reviewed by our Corporate Parenting Board, ensuring strategic oversight and compliance.

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
Where possible our in-house advocate will support children and young people living outside of the local authority area. Where this is not feasible, advocacy is provided via spot purchase from NYAS, ensuring no child is left without representation.
The same standards and expectations apply to out-of-area advocacy as for local children. Spot-purchased advocacy is arranged promptly to avoid delays and ensure compliance with statutory duties.