Children's Independent Visitors

Social Services may ask a person called an Independent Visitor to visit you if they think this would be good for you. Social Services will do this if your parents have not visited you for six months or if they have not been in touch with you much. Being an independent visitor is not a paid job; independent visitors do this job on a voluntary basis. An independent visitor does not work for Social Services.

An independent visitor will try to be like a friend to you and to help you. If you want your visitor can come with you to reviews or other meetings.

Your visitor may also be able to talk to Social Services for you about anything that is worrying you. He or she could help you to make a complaint if you are unhappy about how you are being looked after.

You may want to choose a visitor who is someone that has been in care or perhaps someone of the same race or religious background as you. You may want to choose whether it will be a woman or a man. Social Services should always talk to you about what you want and listen to what you say. You can refuse to have an independent visitor if you understand what it all means. You can also ask for your independent visitor to stop visiting you at anytime.

An independent visitor is a be-friender,  an adult who has an interest in and commitment to the welfare of children and young people. They volunteer to spend some of their free time regularly with you, befriending you and encouraging you in your interests and the development of your identity.
The independent visitor recruitment process is very careful and comprehensive, and visitors receive ongoing support, training and supervision once in post.

Eligibility

Service is available to Children & Young people Looked After by Social Services who have little or no contact with their family.

Procedure

Any looked-after child (who meets criteria above) can ask to have an Independent Voluntary Visitor. They can ask their Social Worker, key worker or carer to make a referral on their behalf, raise it at their Review, or contact the Children's Rights Service at the NSPCC (see below).

Helplines

• Barnsley Children's Rights Service, NSPCC 01226 779494
• Assessment Team East 01226 775131
• Assessment Team West 01226 775196
• Children in Need Team North East 01226 775953
• Children in Need Team South East 01226 775011
• Children in Need Central 01226 775180
• Children in Need West 01226 775441
• Children's Disability Team 01226 775390

Opening Times/Locations

Children's Rights Service
NSPCC
9 Churchfield Court
Churchfields
Barnsley
S70 2JT
Tel:01226 779494

Office Hours - Monday to Friday 9.00am to 5.00pm
Children's Rights Workers work flexible hours and are able to see children outside office hours when needed.

Application form references

There is a Referral form for the Service.

Please request further details from your any Social Services office.

Please refer to the ''Associated Links'' for your nearest office.

Leaflets

Leaflets are available about the Service from the NSPCC Office.

Distribution Points

Children's Rights Service
NSPCC
9 Churchfield Court
Churchfields
Barnsley
S70 2JT
Tel:01226 779494

Legislation

Children's Act 1989

Response Times / Next Steps

The NSPCC keeps a list of children who are waiting for an Independent Visitor. We recruit new IVs regularly and try to match new IVs with the children waiting as soon as possible. We try very hard to make sure we have found the right IV to match with each young person. When we have found the right IV we will arrange an introductory meeting as soon as we can.

Out of Hours Procedure

Independent Visitors are volunteers and usually visit young people outside normal office hours e.g. early evening and weekends.

Owner Officer Contact Details

Pat Stansfield
Operations Services Manager
Children's Services

Wellington House
36 Wellington St
Barnsley
South Yorkshire
S70 1WA
01226 772519

Related Links

• Social services district offices
• NSPCC

Last modified on 29/1/2009