An Independent Visitor (IV) is a volunteer who visits and befriends a child or young person in care.
Scroll to the yellow box at the bottom of the page to request an IV.
What is an Independent Visitor?
An Independent Visitor (IV) is an adult who has volunteered to spend time with you. They are there to have fun with, arrange activities, and make plans with you. An IV is someone you can trust and rely on to listen and be there for you. They are not a carer or social worker but a volunteer who wants to spend time with you who is outside of the care system.
Your IV will visit you at least once a month. Led by your interests and hobbies, together, you can plan for whatever you want to do. The time they spend with you is all about you having fun and creating special memories.
Who can have an Independent Visitor?
You have the right to an Independent Visitor if you are:
Aged 18 and under
Living in care
An Independent Visitor is a volunteer and not paid to be there with you. They want to give their time to get to know you and do fun things with you.
Types of things I can do with an Independent Visitor
You can let your Independent Visitor know what you like doing and where you like going. It’s completely up to you how you spend your time with your Independent Visitor. Whatever you want to do, your IV will do their best to make it happen. It could even be help with homework!
Your IV can also introduce you to new activities and places if you want them to. Your time together could be spent doing the things like:
How do I get an Independent Visitor?
If you’re interested in being matched up with an Independent Visitor, then please ask your social worker to make a referral. At the bottom of this page you can find the referral form.
We will then arrange to speak with you, and your social worker, to find out more about you. That will help us match you with someone who will suit your hobbies and interests. Finding a volunteer who meets what you're looking for can take some time, but once we have found someone you can decide if you would like to meet them.
If it's a good match, you can continue seeing them each month.
What if it’s not a good match?
If you have any doubts about the volunteer you’ve been matched with, we can continue to look for someone else that's a better match for you.
