This briefing paper offers a summary of the key findings of ‘Advocacy for looked after children and children in need: achievements and challenges’, the first national study of children’s advocacy in England. The study was prepared for the Department of Health and the DfES. The study was undertaken for a number of reasons: despite the relatively rapid increase in the number of advocacy services for children and young people over the last decade or so, relatively little is known about the extent to which advocacy makes a positive difference to the lives of individual children or to developments in children’s services more generally. Evidence also suggests that, in order to reduce the scope for conflict or confusion, there is a need to raise awareness about the principles and practices of advocacy among practitioners and policy makers working in the field of children’s health and social care. This study sought to address these gaps in knowledge and to create a platform for an evidence-based debate about the future of advocacy for children and young people
