Independent Visiting

If you have little or no contact with your family and would like an adult friend outside of the care system, that’s where Independent Visiting comes in.

An Independent Visitor (IV) is someone who will build a long-term, supportive relationship with you. They can give you advice and help get you involved in hobbies, sports, social or educational activities. They are there to listen to you and for you to have fun with. You could go to the cinema, go bowling or just take a walk in the park – whatever you enjoy!

To have an IV you need to be aged between four and 18. And your IV is just for you and no-one else! They will make regular visits and keep in touch by email, phone or letter. And, importantly, IVs aren’t paid to be with you – they want to be with you for you!

They are not carers or social workers, and what you talk to them about won’t get passed onto other people unless there are good reasons to do this – like you or another child may be at risk of harm.

How do I get an IV?

If you would like an IV, you should talk to your Social Worker or Independent Reviewing Officer. It can sometimes take a bit of time to find the right IV for you, but that’s because we want to make sure you’ll get along. All IVs are given training and are background checked as well, just to make sure they’re safe. Our IVs in Devon are provided by NYAS, and there’s a special code of conduct that you and your IV need to stick to.

When we think we’ve found someone who would be a good IV for you, we’ll contact you and talk to you about them. If you then want to meet them, we will arrange to bring the IV to your home to meet you and to see if you like them. And if you both get on, you can arrange to meet again.

Someone might be your IV for a few months or many years – just so long as you are both happy and able to keep seeing each other. And if you’re unhappy with your IV, or simply decide that you no longer want one, just let us know.

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