PORTAL
South Gloucestershire Portal
This Portal includes information on what you can expect from us as an organisation, including how to make a referral.
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Reconstruct is the provider for the following services available for your young people
A little bit about us
Reconstruct has over 35 years’ experience of developing and delivering training, consultancy, quality assurance and compliance services to a range of organisations, as well as direct services to vulnerable young people.
Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable children and adults is at the centre of the work Reconstruct undertakes. Incoprorating the needs of our partners, and the children they support, is paramount.
Together with the local authorities we partner with, we strive to secure the best possible outcomes in respect of access to services with the provision of professional and appropriate training; supportive consultancy and compassionate direct delivery of services. We offer a full range of services designed to make positive change, develop strong ethical practice and promote better outcomes for the individuals being cared for. But don’t take our word for it – see what some of our children think about our services in the video above!
Advocacy Services
An advocate is independent to social services and is someone who provides support to children and young people in care, care leavers and children and young people who are subject to a Child Protection Conference.
Advocacy means to speak up for someone and there are some groups of people who may need more help that others – in this case, vulnerable children and young people. It’s about making sure that children have a say in decisions that affect their life. Advocacy is about making things change because children’s voices are heard and listened to.
Who is Eligible for this service?
Child Protection Advocacy
Our service delivers Child Protection Advocacy for children/young people aged over 10 years old who are the subject of a Child Protection Conference and are have a social worker with Gloucestershire Department for Children and Young People.
The aim of the service is to ensure children have a clear understanding of the Child Protection process and are able to contribute their views and, attend the Conference Meeting.
Children in care Advocacy
Our service delivers Advocacy Services to ensure children and young people and support them to participate in their Statutory Review and also support them when making a complaint. This service is open to children and young people aged 5 – 18.
The aim of the service is ensure that children and young people in care and child service users making a complaint against the authority, have the opportunity to have their views listened to and taken into account and assisted wherever possible to speak for themselves
Please ensure invites to meetings are sent well in advance to allow for advocates to be allocated and for the V&F’s to be collated. Should an advocate not be available due to delays in South Gloucestershire referring the CYP, Reconstruct will not be held responsible for not attending said meetings. However we will endeavour to support the child but this may not be possible and the child may have to be represented at the next
Making a Referral
The referrer completes the form on the referral link and this will be sent automatically to the coordinator for Bristol.
If the referral is complex please call 0800 0209 858 or directly to Ruksana the coordinator on her mobile on 077190 87906 and talk through the referral or email advocacy@reconstruct.co.uk
Within 24 hours the referral will be acknowledged by the Reconstruct team and within 48 hours will be assigned to an advocate. You will be contacted to discuss the following upon receipt of referral:
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To let you know the status of the referral and who the Advocate allocated will be. If the referral is missing any information, they will also ask for further clarification, including any risks that the advocate should be aware of before meeting the child/young person.
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Advocate will arrange with parent/carer to speak with the young person.
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If parents or young person do not want to engage then advocate would complete a non-starter form and advise the social worker.
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If the young person is aged 16 plus the Advocate will ask the referrer if it is acceptable for them to contact the young person directly.
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An advocate will meet with the young person face to face or virtually (child led) s a paragraph.
Please ensure invites to meetings are sent well in advance to allow for advocates to be allocated and for the V&F’s to be collated. Should an advocate not be available due to delays in Bristol, Reconstruct will not be held responsible for not attending said meetings. However we will endeavour to support the child but this may not be possible and the child may have to be represented at the next meeting.
Independent Visiting
Who is Eligible for this service?
Our service provides Independent Visitor volunteers to Children in Care over the age of 6. The aim of the service is to promote the child’s developmental, social, emotional, educational, religious and cultural needs and encourage the child to exercise his/her rights and to participate in decisions which will affect him/her.
An Independent Visitor (IV) is an adult volunteer who is independent of Social Services. Their role is to establish a supportive and long term relationship with a young person built on trust. They will guide and listen to a young person, helping to build their self-esteem and develop new interests and skills over time
The role of the IV is different from that of an Advocate and will be an on-going relationship for the period required by the child or young person until they leave care or attain the age of 18 years, whichever is the sooner.
Making a Referral
All social workers can make a referral using the links below. If you are a parent or carer and would like to access the service, please contact your social worker who will make a referral on your behalf.
We have also put together some useful guidance which will provide you with a more in depth understanding of the types of referrals to send through. For new recruits and for those who are not familiar with the IV service and what it entails we see the What is an IV guidance document for a detailed explanation of the role of an IV.