Evaluation of the Parental Advocacy and Information Service

Shane Powell, Lilly Evans, Emilia Preter, and Professor Clive Diaz

Summary

Opening the door to parents’ voices in child-welfare proceedings
In 2022, Barnardos Ireland launched an ambitious pilot: the Parental Advocacy and Information Service (PAIS). Designed to support parents involved in child-care proceedings, the service offers one-to-one advocacy, information sessions, a helpline and workshops — all grounded in the principles of empowerment, rights-based practice and meaningful participation.

What the evaluation set out to explore
This recent evaluation (covering 2022 – 2024) uses a realist-informed mixed-methods design: drawing on service-data, parent and professional interviews, surveys and case-studies to ask: How does PAIS work? For which parents? In what circumstances? And what difference does it make?

Key take-aways at a glance

• Demand for the service surged: referrals rose sharply in 2023.

• Parents overwhelmingly reported positive experiences: they felt more informed, better able to participate in meetings, and had improved relationships with professionals.

• Professionals also endorsed the service, noting it helped parents’ voices to be heard and enhanced collaboration.

• The evaluation highlights key mechanisms: trust-based relationships, rights-awareness, support navigating complex systems, and trauma-informed advocacy practice.

• The report issues important recommendations around scaling PAIS nationally, maintaining its independent advocacy stance, ensuring equitable access and further building the evidence-base.

Why it matters
In a child-welfare system where parents often report feeling disempowered, unheard or unsure about what’s happening, this evaluation points to a promising model that helps redress the balance — supporting parents to engage actively, understand their rights and feel part of the conversation about their children’s welfare.