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Call for advocates to make sure children are heard

The National Children's Bureau (NCB) is calling on the Government to give children the legal right to an independent advocate at child protection conferences.

This is to ensure that in cases where harm, neglect and abuse are suspected, a child's views will be properly listened to.

In the NCB analysis, Time to listen: Independent advocacy within the child protection process, official research identified that in a number of case studies where the child suffered death or serious injury, the children's views were not heard.

It recommends that the Government amend the Children and Families Bill 2013 to ensure that all children going through child protection conferences are entitled to an independent advocate. The aim is to ensure that children feel more in control of the process and are able to understand it better.

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