Paid, Professionalised and Proceduralised: Can Legal and Policy Frameworks for Child Advocacy Give Voice to Children and Young People?

Significant developments have taken place over recent years in the legal and policy framework for childrens participation in decision-making and the role of advocacy within this context. Whilst there is much here to be welcomed, there are also emerging concerns about the nature and direction of advocacy for children and young people in public care. This paper draws on evidence from an empirical study of childrens participation in statutory reviewsone of the key arenas for decision-making relating to looked after childrenin order to consider critical themes identifiable within the developing field of child advocacy.