A video about the realities facing young parents at risk of having a child taken into care was recognised with a prize at the National Advocacy Awards last night. The video If I could talk to me won Best Co-production Award at a prize-giving ceremony that followed the National Advocacy Conference in Birmingham.
The film, which was produced by the Just for Kids Law advocacy team and clients in collaboration with independent filmmakers, highlights the particular difficulties faced by care-leavers who become young parents, and informs them of their right to independent advocacy.
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"Winning this award is a fantastic testament to the hard work of Sophie Conway who led the project and Amelia Gibson who volunteered, and to the three young parents Clarissa, Monique and Savannah who worked closely with us to get the result we had." said Mark McDonald, Advocacy Manager at Just for Kids Law. "Massive thanks to all those who have supported the film and who continue to support young parents, and huge congratulations to all involved.
The film has served to amplify the voices of young parents in ways we would never have been able to on our own and has informed so many people of the impact child protection proceedings can have on people.
"The film has served to amplify the voices of young parents in ways we would never have been able to on our own and has informed so many people of the impact child protection proceedings can have on people. It’s great to see our work with young parents go from strength to strength, and the project is in very capable hands with Phoebe Green leading things at present."
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Amelia Gibson, who played a key role in producing the film, said: "Last night's win demonstrates just how powerful the results can be when the young people JfKL works with are listened to and given the opportunity to speak for themselves. Clarissa, Savannah and Monique were fearless and totally determined that we get this right, and were helped along all the way by Louis Haywood, our amazing producer. "
The film was launched in December 2017, featuring in an article in the Guardian. It was made possible through the support of the KPMG Foundation. Watch the full video below: