Coram Voice - Getting young voices heard
Coram Voice is a national charity that works with children and young people vulnerable to harm or exclusion from society, and who have a particular reliance on the state or its agencies for their rights and wellbeing
We keep our ‘No Child Turned Away’ promise by supporting any child who ask for help while actively seeking ways of helping the hardest to reach young people.We support children and young people to participate in shaping their own lives and hold to account services responsible for their care, by providing advocacy and independent services and by campaigning for system change.
Coram Voice's activities include:
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Always Heard - The National Advocacy Safety Net and Advice service accessed via a freephone helpline and a range of digital channels
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Independent local advocacy services across the country for children in need, in care, leaving care and subject to child protection processes
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Specialist advocacy for young people including those who have a disability, face mental health difficulties, are homeless, or are refugees or migrants
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Visiting advocacy services to children in residential care, secure children’s homes and psychiatric units
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Policy and campaigning work aimed at promoting a child-centred care system
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Investigating Officers and Independent Persons to assist in the investigation of complaints under the Children Act 1989 and Independent Persons for Secure Accommodation Reviews
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Independent Visitor Service for children with no regular family contact
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Specialist training programmes for professionals focusing on advocacy, children’s rights, leaving care, complaints, participation and young refugees
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Participation services through which young people can shape both Coram Voice’s services and the broader care system
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Getting young voices heard
The Bright Spots project, developed by Coram Voice with the University of Bristol and supported by the Hadley Trust, aims to help local authorities assess looked after children's wellbeing based on what's important to them. This year, the Bright Spots team published Our Lives, Our Care, a survey developed by young people to measure the quality of their care.
Coram Voices also runs the annual Voices writing competition celebrating the voices of children and young people in, and from, care.The shortlist from this and last year's competitions are featured in Creative Voices, a new app developed in partnership with Pearson Publishing available for smartphones and tablets on Google Play and the App Store.
Visit Coram Voice's website to learn more
Discover the Bright Spots project
Read more about Voices writing competition
