Independent non-legal advocacy in the child protection context: A  descriptive review of the literature

Fitt, Kate; Maylea, Christopher; Costello, Susie; Kuyini, Bawa; Thomas, Sherie

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Independent non-legal advocacy in the child protection context: A descriptive review of the literature

Date

2023-06-26

Authors

Publisher

Elsevier

Abstract

Objective: To review the current literature on the use and value of independent non-legal advocacy for parents in the context of child protection. Method: A descriptive literature review was undertaken to identify, review, synthesize and unify the available literature on independent non-legal advocacy for parents in a child protection context. A systematic search resulted in 45 publications published between 2008 and 2021 being included in the review. Each publication was then thematically analyzed. Outcome: The role and context of different forms of independent non-legal advocacy are described. This is followed by an overview of the three overarching themes identified through thematic analysis - human rights, improving parenting and child protection practice and eco nomic benefits. Conclusions: The topic of independent non-legal advocacy in child protection settings is an important, under-researched topic. The increasing number of positive outcomes noted in small scale program evaluations suggests the role of independent non-legal advocate may hold signif icant benefits for families, service systems and governments. Implications for service delivery include enhanced social justice and human rights for parents and children.

Keywords

Child protection Independent non-legal advocacy

Citation

Fitt, K. et al. (2023) “Independent non-legal advocacy in the child protection context: A descriptive review of the literature,” Child Abuse & Neglect, 143.