About us
Speak Up is the name of York Children’s Rights and Advocacy Service.
There are 3 main service areas provided by Speak Up: statutory advocacy, delivery of participation opportunities, and provision of information about rights and entitlements for care experienced young people.
- Statutory advocacy
- Participation opportunities
- Rights and entitlements for young people in care and care leavers
Statutory advocacy
Speak Up provides statutory advocacy to the following children and young people:
- children and young people in care
- care leavers up to the age of 25
- young people aged 16 or 17 and homeless
- children going through the child protection process
- young parents aged under 18 who have a child who is subject to a child protection plan
- any young person who would like to make a complaint about York Children’s Services
Speak Up is an in-house advocacy service within City of York Council. Speak Up operates in line with the National Advocacy Standards by providing a confidential and independent service.
The service sits within the Innovation and Children’s Champion’s management structure to ensure that it can function independently from Children’s Social Care, in line with good practice guidance.
There is a clear service statement in place outlining details of service provision, its independent governance, performance and monitoring, and practice in relation to resolution and escalation. Contact Speak Up on email: [email protected] if you wish to request a copy of the service statement.
Find out more about advocacy for young people provided by Speak Up.
Participation opportunities
Speak Up delivers a range of participation opportunities for children and young people, with the aim of ensuring that children and young people help shape the design and delivery of the services that they access.
Speak Up facilitates the following:
- Show Me That I Matter, York's Children in Care Council
- I Still Matter, York Care Leavers' Forum
- Young people’s involvement in recruitment
- Young people’s involvement in training
Rights and entitlements for young people in care and care leavers
Speak Up aims to provide information about rights and entitlements for children and young people in care and care leavers. This is achieved by:
- providing a ‘New to Care’ information pack to all children and young people who come into the care of City of York Council
- hosting information for young people in care and care leavers on this website; see more information for care experienced young people and care leavers
- sending a quarterly newsletter to all children and young people in care and care leavers
If you wish to get in touch with Speak Up, contact us on email: [email protected].