Questions you may have about the Children's Rights Service

Who can use the service?

Children or young people who are being looked after by Children and Young People's Services
Young people who have been looked after in the past

You might live:

In a children’s home (in Leicestershire or another part of the country)
In a foster home
In a hostel or refuge
In a secure unit
In a hospital
In a boarding school

If you don’t want to contact the Children’s Rights Service yourself, you can ask another young person or adult you trust to do this for you.

Can people stop me contacting the Children’s Rights Officer?

No, it is your service and you have a right to use it.
Social Workers, the people who work in Children’s Homes and foster carers should all know about the Children’s Rights Service and encourage you to use it. You will not get into trouble for contacting the Children’s Rights Officer.

When is the children’s rights service open?

Monday – Thursday 9:00 to 5:00 and Friday 9:00 to 4:30

All other times leave a message on the answer phone. If no one is available when you call then you can still leave a message & contact number and the Children’s Rights Officer will phone you back.

Is the children’s rights officer a social worker?

NO, the Children’s Rights Officer is not a Social Worker

Can I talk to the Children’s Rights Officer in private?

YES – that is no problem

Will the Children’s Rights Officer do or say anything if i don’t want her to?

The Children's Rights Officer will only work for you if you ask her to

but

where you or others are being hurt, or are at risk of being hurt, she may need to tell someone else. In this situation she will always make sure that you know what is going on

How can the Children's Rights Service help me?

It can:

Explain what your rights are
Help put a stop to things that should not happen
Make sure people caring for you listen to what you have to say
Help you to sort out complaints or things that you are not happy with
Encourage you to say what you feel is good about care and what you think should be changed
Put you in touch with other young people who are being looked after

What kind of things do young people contact the Children's Rights Officer for?

Young people contact the Children’s Rights Officer for lots of reasons. Here are some examples:

Bullying from other young people
People making decisions without listening to what the young person wants
Being stopped from seeing parents or brothers & sisters
Racism in school & in children’s homes
Having no school to go to
Social Workers not visiting enough
Having to wait a long time for foster parents
Being hurt by adults
Rules in children’s homes
Black young people not getting the right food in children’s homes
Wanting to read what Social Care Services have written in their files
No locks on bedroom doors in children’s homes …. &many more

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