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Our names are Julia Kett and Bridget Warren.
We are Children’s Rights Officers.
We work for Suffolk County Council.
It is our job to make sure that you have a say in what happens
to you.
We help you to tell people what you think and to make sure that
they listen to you. |
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If you are unhappy about something in your life, you can tell us
and we will try and help you to sort it out. We can also arrange
for you to have an Advocate.
What is an Advocate?
We come across advocates every day. Parents stand up for their
children, children stick up for their friends. If someone has to go
to a difficult meeting or into a new situation they might ask a
friend to go with them. The friend is being an advocate.
Teachers and people like Social Workers can support you too.
Sometimes though, you need an advocate who is not a member of
your family, a friend or someone who works with you because your
problem might involve these people.
This is called an ‘Independent Advocate’. There are
organisations who can provide Independent Advocates.
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The one that we use in Suffolk is:
Please see the information page on NYAS to find out more about
what they do & how they can support
you. |
Advocacy is about having somebody who is there just for you,
to:
- Stand up for you and take your side;
- Help you talk to people about problems and sort them out;
- Listen to you and support you;
- Explain things to you;
- Come to meetings with you;
- Make sure you have your say and that people listen.
Did you know that you have rights?
You have 52 rights all together which are part of the law in
this Country.
Here are some examples:
You have the right
- to go to school;
- to special care if you have a disability;
- to meet up with your friends and go to clubs;
- to play and have free time;
- to say what you think and be listened to by adults when they
make decisions that affect you;
- to the best health possible;
- to be treated fairly and not differently because you have a
disability;
- to be protected from being hurt.
Sometimes other people do not respect your rights and overlook
them. It is our job to help you stand up for your rights.
Get involved – Have your say!
We are always looking for young people who would like to be
involved in things. It could be things like:
- Interviewing staff;
- Training staff;
- Helping to plan services and make them better;
- Supporting other young people;
- Taking part in conferences and consultation
events.
We always make sure that when you take part in things you have
fun, its not just boring adult meetings.
There’s always something good to eat, sometimes an activity
or you will get paid for your time.
If you would like to know more about getting involved, your
rights, or anything else on this page, then get in touch
with the Children's Rights Officers. The contact details are at the
top of the page.