celebrating asphaleia’s delivery of the east sussex advocacy and independent visiting services
As the East Sussex Advocacy and Independent Visiting Services move to a new provider following the end of the current contract, we are proud to reflect on the positive difference these services have made for children and young people across the county during asphaleia's delivery.
Supporting children and young people to have their voices heard and helping them build trusted, meaningful relationships has been at the heart of both services. While we are naturally sad to say goodbye, we are pleased to hand over services that are in a strong position, with a legacy of positive outcomes, high levels of satisfaction, and growing engagement.
advocacy that empowered young voices
Over the last year alone, the Advocacy Service supported 215 children and young people, ensuring their wishes, feelings and views were represented in important decisions affecting their lives. Every referral received resulted in support being offered, achieving a 100% acceptance rate.
Young people accessed advocacy across a wide range of situations, including child protection conferences, family group conferences, reviews, housing issues, family contact matters, education concerns and other issue-based advocacy. In fact, issue-based advocacy remained the largest area of support, highlighting the importance of having independent support available when children and young people need someone to help them communicate their views.
Feedback from young people and professionals consistently demonstrated the value of the service. Every young person who completed feedback said they would use the service again and would recommend it to others. Professionals praised advocates for acting quickly, helping children's voices to be heard, and supporting meaningful participation in meetings and decision-making processes.
One professional described the service as providing a young person with "their voice back", while another highlighted how advocacy ensured children's views were clearly represented at a child protection conference.
building lasting relationships through independent visiting
The Independent Visitor Service has also continued to grow and develop. During 2025-26, 53 children and young people benefited from the service, the highest level recorded across the past four years. The service received 31 new referrals and attracted 44 volunteer applications, demonstrating both the need for and value of independent visiting.
Independent Visitors provide a consistent, trusted adult relationship for children and young people in care, supporting them to develop confidence, build life skills and take part in new experiences. Feedback from young people showed the profound impact these relationships can have.
One young person described their Independent Visitor as their "safe place", while others spoke about enjoying new activities, spending time outdoors and having someone reliable to talk to. Significantly, 100% of young people who provided feedback said they were happy with their match, and 100% of foster carers felt the Independent Visitor was beneficial and communicated well.
The service also maintained excellent support for volunteers, with 100% of Independent Visitors receiving supervision and reporting that they felt supported and were making a positive contribution to young people's lives.
a legacy to be proud of
Across both services, the common theme has been helping children and young people feel heard, supported and empowered. Whether through advocacy at critical meetings or long-term relationships with Independent Visitors, the focus has always been on improving outcomes and ensuring young people's voices remain central to the decisions that affect them.
Here are some of the positive outcomes recorded by IV's from their visits
We would like to thank East Sussex County Council for the opportunity to deliver these important services, as well as the dedicated staff, volunteers, professionals and young people who have been part of the journey.
As the services move forward under new leadership, we wish the new provider every success and look forward to seeing these vital services continue to support children and young people across East Sussex.
