Next Steps clearly demonstrates, a dialogue with government is an integral part of the shift in how we all work for children – moving from reactive to preventative services. Signature Guidance on Providing Effective Advocacy Services for Children and Young People Making a Complaint under the Children Act 1989 3 Contents Essential Information 7 Summary 7 Impact on Local Authorities 7 The 2004 Regulations 7 1. Background: Why Legislate for Advocacy Services? 8 Introduction 8 Developing a listening culture 9 2. The Role of Advocacy Services for Children Making Complaints 10 Introduction 10 The National Standards for the Provision of Children’s Advocacy Services 2002 10 Enabling children to access advocacy services 11 Children or young people placed out of the local authority area 12 Choice for the child or young person 12 Publicity about advocacy services 13 3. Advocates and the Complaints Procedure 15 The Children’s Complaints Officer or Designated Complaints Officer Co-ordinated working between Independent Reviewing Officers (IROs), Introduction 15 with Responsibility for Children’s Complaints 15 The Children Act complaints procedure 16 Case Study – Durham County Council 18 The role of the advocate in the complaints procedure 18 Children’s Rights Officers 19 Independent Reviewing Officers 19 complaints officers and advocates 19 Table 1: The Role of Other Professionals in the Complaints Procedure 20 Guidance on Providing Effective Advocacy Services for Children and Young People 5 Making a Complaint under the Children Act 1989 4. Maintaining the Independence of the Advocate 21 Introduction 21 Who may not be an advocate? 21 Independence of advocacy services 22 Children’s Rights Services providing advocacy in the context of complaints 22 What is NOT appropriate? 22 Conflicts