Parent Advocacy Service

Manchester City Council is seeking to engage with the market to inform the potential commissioning of a Parent and Carer Advocacy Service.

The proposed service will provide short-term, early intervention advocacy support to parents and carers involved in Child Protection processes. The aim is to enable families to better understand safeguarding processes, build confidence, and participate meaningfully in decision-making relating to their children.

The Council is exploring a small-scale, community-based pilot model, supporting approximately 50 families per year through a flexible delivery approach, which may include a combination of paid staff, volunteers, and peer advocates. The service is expected to reflect strong local knowledge of Manchester's communities and align with a strengths-based, relational approach to working with families.

This preliminary market engagement is intended to:

• Understand market interest and capacity

• Explore potential delivery models, including community and volunteer-based approaches

• Assess the feasibility of delivering the service at a local level

• Gather indicative cost information