How many care-experienced young people receive independent advocacy.

The Scottish Government does not collect national data on the numbers of care experienced young people who receive independent advocacy to support them across a range of domains and experiences, including – additional support needs, mental health, children’s hearings, Looked After Children Reviews and child protection proceedings. Advocacy can be accessed by young people themselves through Local Authorities, third sector organisations or other private providers. The Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance maintains a directory of independent advocacy services.
In the case of Children's Hearings, some limited provision exists thanks to the work of voluntary organisations. Section 122 of the Children's Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011, including a regulation-making power for the Scottish Ministers to make provision for advocacy for children’s hearings and an obligation on the chairing Member to advise children of the availability of those services, is not yet commenced. Ministers have indicated that they plan to make significant progress in this area over the next two years, and an announcement will be made in due course.
However, Scottish Government has funded action research projects on advocacy for children in hearings since 2015 in Fife, Highland, Dundee and North Lanarkshire. These projects have provided an advocate for 88 children and young people to support them at their Children's Hearing.