A NEWPORT woman is campaigning to get children in care represented by independent helpers.

Aisling Donovan, 20, who was in care for almost seven years, works as a development officer for Voices from Care, an independent charity which works with children in care.

The charity is calling for advocates to be independent from local authorities.

Advocates help children going through care understand the procedure and act as their voice, but Miss Donovan said the current system doesn't encourage children to speak out about any problems.

"I think young people don't think they can speak out without worrying about repercussions. The advocate has to report back to the local authority with any issues the child may be having."

Miss Donovan, of Somerton Park, spoke to the National Assembly's Children and Young People's committee last week to discuss her experiences in care and the charity is calling on ministers to create a new, independent advocacy unit.

Miss Donovan, who has a three-year-old daughter Molly, is also campaigning to see advocates stay with their child throughout their care. Under the current system when a contract for the advocates comes up for tender, they could be replaced, an idea she says is "not acceptable, and is an unnecessary change for possibly vulnerable children."

The Children and Young People Committee is conducting an inquiry into the provision of advocacy services and the Assembly has deferred its decision on the services until the committee reports its findings.

Voices from Care has slammed the proposals by the Assembly to keep the advocacy service under local authority control as it believes the current system prevents children from speaking out, leaves them vulnerable when they leave care and doesn't provide children with the support they need.

Miss Donovan said she was only allowed to see her advocate once a month while in care, which changed to once every two months and ended after two years as that was the period of time the funding was for.

She said: "The other problem is that the service isn't available when you need it most - I once rung the number and I was told they'd ring back in six months."

A report on the subject is due to be published published by the Young People's Scrutiny Committee later this year.