1. No category

What is an Independent
Visitor?
How is an IV different to
an Advocate?
An IV is a specially trained volunteer who is able to
befriend and offer a positive adult role model to a
child or young person. They are able to help children
and young people make sense of what is happening
in their lives by being an available, reliable and
friendly adult.
The role of an IV is to provide long term support to a
child or young person who has little or no contact
with their parent/s or carer/s. This includes
befriending, supporting, advising etc in an informal
way. An advocate generally works with a child or
young person for a time limited period and the
relationship is focussed on resolving an issue that
the child or young person has. Once the issue is
resolved the advocacy relationship ends. The IV
relationship can and does continue for many years
providing the right match is found.
How the Tros Gynnal
Plant IV scheme works
Who can have an IV?
The Children Act 1989, Para 17(1) of Schedule 2
states that all Local Authorities have a statutory
obligation to provide an Independent Visitor to any
child or young person who is looked after and has
had little or no contact in the preceding 12 months
with their parent/s or person/s with parental
responsibility.
How long does the IV
relationship
last?
Charity No 1099878
Positive Roles
The Courtyard
12a Sussex Street
Grangetown
Cardiff CF11 6SS
Tel: 029 2034 4681
Tros Gynnal Plant
Standing up for Children
For many young people
the IV relationship is the
only constant thing in
their lives. Placements
change, Social Workers change but IVs are able to
continue visiting young people wherever they are
placed for as long as they want. If the right match is
made IVs can continue to support young people into
adulthood.
Tros Gynnal Plant uses a model developed with WCVA
funding to recruit individual volunteers specifically for
each young person referred and work individually with
the child or young person to identify the skills and
qualities that they are looking for in a volunteer and
actively involve them in the process. In practice this
means drawing up an individual person specification
and the young person being involved in the
advertising, recruitment, selection and training of
volunteers to find someone who meets the
requirements of that.
Out of county placements
Young people placed out of county are seen as no
different and can access the scheme in the same
way.