NIVN is a platform for Independent Visitor (IV) service providers, care-experienced children and young people and statutory befrienders (IVs) in England and Wales. The project is hosted by Barnardo’s with joint funding from the Tudor Trust and Barnardo’s. NIVN launched in 2014 to address low levels of access to IVs and inconsistent quality of IV provision. Through influencing and good practice development work, we aim to increase levels of access to high quality statutory befrienders for care-experienced children and young people.
Having an Independent visitor has been the only stable thing in my life
Young person
Our Achievements to date
- Developed a set of National Standards to benchmark and drive improvements to practice
- Established good practice regional groups in England and Wales
- Launched our own national website
- Influencing the Government’s Independent Review of Social Care in England to bring about a consistent, long-term offer of Independent Visitor support for children in care and care leavers
- Created a set of nationwide Training Principles and a self-audit tool to quality assure IV induction training
- Created compelling digital media content and launched the Right Friend Campaign
- Generated opportunities to engage care-experienced children, young people and IV volunteers in the network
- Produced the National Independent Visitor Network Data Report 2022
Our Structure
