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Vic James acts as an Advocate for the FGC
Service:
"I was in the right place at the right time. It wasn't planned
or expected. I was working with a family involved with social
services as a youth worker. A newly arrived team called the Family
Group Conference Service were to hold a Family Group Conference to
give a family the opportunity to produce their own plan for care of
their eldest child, Albie aged 11. After a period of time in
prison, his stepdad was having difficulties living in the family
home. Albie was also having difficulties in his relationship with
his mother, grandparents, sisters and peers. Exclusion from school
was becoming a regular feature. Needless to say this was one very
unhappy lad, who exhibited anger and frustration from the moment he
woke, to the end of the day. He lived 'close to tears'. It was
important that Albie be able to get his feelings and views across
at the FGC and so Albie was offered the opportunity to have an
Advocate. The FGC Co Coordinator approached me because she knew I
had established a connection with Albie. Having introduced the idea
to Albie, he began to to expand his perception of his family and
'the problems', but most importantly he expressed his feelings.
With his permission I attended his FGC and conveyed all he had
said. The most defining moment was when his family heard how he
felt when his parents shouted at each other and his sisters. This
appeared to have a profound effect on all the adults present and
immediate and wider family members contributed to keeping Albie
within his family, thus averting Care Proceedings in Court. The
most important aspect for Albie was being heard.. for the family,
their autonomy - for me, pure satisfaction.
Having seen the impact and need of advocacy and following my
introduction to advocating, I sought the opportunity to enrol in
Advocacy training offered by the FGC Service and them became a
voluntary advocate.
Since then I have numerous opportunities to advocate for other
children, but also for adults who find it difficult to speak for
themselves - for whatever reason. People of all ages are not always
able or ready to communicate what they really feel or want. They
are not always able to say what has been difficult for them - and
yet it is imperative that their voices are heard, because when it
is, it liberates the person and hopefully their circumstances
too."
Vanessa Proctor also does advocacy work for the FGC
Service:
"I work as an Administration officer for the FGC Service and I
was encouraged to go to advocacy training in 2003. I found that
this was such a useful tool that I wanted to use it to help others.
I have since then been an advocate for many people - children,
young people and adults.
The younger children have sometimes been interviewed talking to me
about what they think and feel about their situation and we have
used that as a powerful media for the family to see how they really
feel, without the child actually being in the room. On some
occasions I have been in the room after the children have left the
room because the child wanted me to stay. Then the family have used
me as a channel for their questions. This is easier sometimes for
the children, and often they feel able to come back into the room
again, when they feel that their views have been heard and
accepted.
For adults there is a different need. They are usually able to
express what they feel they want to say, but are often unable to
get the words out - my role becomes one of enabling them to get
their voice heard correctly and to ensure they hear what is being
said to them.
One example of a case I was involved in was of 2 children on the
Child Protection Register. Their mum felt very vulnerable and
requested an advocate to assist her with preparing for and being at
the FGC. During the time leading up to the FGC I spent time with
the mum and met the rest of her family. Mum had received lots of
paperwork and was unable to process the long drawn out reports
received from professionals. At the FGC I was there as someone who
she trusted to tell her what things meant, and to go out of the
room with her when things became difficult. It was a very long
meeting and there were many questions where lots of jargon was
used, with me trying to explain things to her in a way that she
could understand. Effectively this encouraged more truthful answers
because she understood what was required of her. The outcome of the
FGC was encouraging and in a few weeks at the Child Protection
Conference, the children were de-registered, which was amazing.
Since being a volunteer advocate I have helped 25 individual
children sometimes 2-3 in one family) and 6 adults. It is a
satisfying role and I feel it's a privilege to be part of a
family's FGC.
For me I feel really honoured and privileged to help the
families and enable them to have a voice at their FGC. This
empowers them, sometimes for the first time, to feel in control of
their lives and know that they have someone to help who is there
just for them!" |