This report gives an overview of EPIC Advocacy cases in 2019-20
This report gives an overview of the EPIC advocacy caseload in 2019. It presents a profile of the children and young people who sought advocacy support and identifies the main presenting issues and key actions taken by EPIC to address their concerns. The aim of EPIC’s advocacy work is to empower children in care and young people with care experience to have a say in issues that affect their lives.
The nature of EPIC’s role can vary from providing basic information, for example, in relation to social welfare entitlements, to providing practical support, such as assisting a young person to find an educational course or accommodation. Advocates regularly attend both child in care reviews and aftercare review meetings to ensure the voice of the child or young person is given due consideration.
This is the eleventh annual report on EPIC’s advocacy, the first of which was in 2009. Over this time the work of EPIC has continued to grow year on year, with the number of advocacy cases increasing from 61 in 2009 to 843 in 2019.
EPIC currently has eight Advocacy Officers in place nationally, covering the areas Dublin North East; Dublin Mid Leinster; South; Mid-West and West. On average, each EPIC Advocacy Officer dealt with 105 cases in 2019 an increase of 23% from 2018. In 2019 there was an overall increase of 28% in referrals to EPIC from the previous year.
The data presented in this and previous reports is critical in informing the development of our services by enabling us to recognise and track emerging trends and issues being experienced by children and young people who seek support from our service.
Read the full report (PDF)
