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Independent non-legal advocacy in the child protection context: A descriptive review of the literature
Date
2023-06-26
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
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.
Description
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.