SOCIAL CARE INSTITUTE FOR EXCELLENCE, ADVOCACY PARTNERS
Publisher:
Social Care Institute for Excellence
Publication year:
2009
Pagination:
4p.
Place of publication:
London
This briefing examines the implications of the personalisation agenda for advocacy workers. Personalisation, including personal budgets, may change the type of support that people ask their advocacy workers to provide. In particular there may be a greater need for support from advocates to enable people to consider how money is spent and support organised. Other people may wish to use a part of their personal budget to buy support from an advocate, additional to that which should be freely provided as part of a universal information and advice service. Advocates and their organisations may want to consider whether and how they change in view of the potential changing requests.
This briefing examines the implications of the personalisation agenda for advocacy workers. Personalisation, including personal budgets, may change the type of support that people ask their advocacy workers to provide. In particular there may be a greater need for support from advocates to enable people to consider how money is spent and support organised. Other people may wish to use a part of their personal budget to buy support from an advocate, additional to that which should be freely provided as part of a universal information and advice service. Advocates and their organisations may want to consider whether and how they change in view of the potential changing requests.
The charities of Speaking Up and Advocacy Partners are merging to become one of the biggest advocacy providers. The author talks to the former chair of Speaking Up Craig Dearden-Phillips and former head of Advocacy Partners Jonathan Senker about the merger. The name for the new charity has not yet been decided.
The charities of Speaking Up and Advocacy Partners are merging to become one of the biggest advocacy providers. The author talks to the former chair of Speaking Up Craig Dearden-Phillips and former head of Advocacy Partners Jonathan Senker about the merger. The name for the new charity has not yet been decided.
Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) asserts the right to equal recognition and non-discrimination before the law. It places an obligation on countries to enable people to access support to exercise this right. This is viewed as a shift from ‘substituted decision-making’ to ‘supported decision-making’, with various models emerging.
(Edited publisher abstract)
Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) asserts the right to equal recognition and non-discrimination before the law. It places an obligation on countries to enable people to access support to exercise this right. This is viewed as a shift from ‘substituted decision-making’ to ‘supported decision-making’, with various models emerging. This article considers the right to equal recognition in the context of independent advocacy for people requiring social care, introduced, by the Care Act 2014 in England, as one such model. Data from surveys of local authority commissioners and advocacy providers are used to examine early implementation of this statutory duty. The legitimization of advocacy through statute was universally welcomed. However, our findings raise questions about its commissioning and implementation as an effective model for supported decision-making and the extent to which it ensures disabled people exercise their right to equal recognition.
(Edited publisher abstract)
Subject terms:
UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, human rights, disabilities, advocacy, commissioning;
This report explores the distinction between impairment and disability in the experience of chronic illness to help identify the social causes of disadvantage and exclusion that restrict and diminish the lives of disabled people over and above the illnesses and diseases themselves. Findings of this study reveal that despite their diverse symptom clusters, limited energy and fatigue are by and large the most debilitating and restricting feature of chronic illness. Chapter One deals with experiences of impairment with chronic illness – what is it about the conditions that restricts activity and wellbeing in and of itself; and who does the ‘chronic illness’ label include. Chapter Two looks at experiences of disability, or what is more commonly referred to as ‘ableism’, with chronic illness – what are the ‘barriers’, whether material or cultural attitudes, that restrict or oppress us as disabled people. Chapter Three discusses the implications of this knowledge for taking collective action – it explores how communication strategies could support a more effective advocacy movement for chronic illness; and asks what participants' priorities are, in terms of social issues and public policy, for improving our lives. The report posits that the main strategy for a future advocacy movement is the reframing of ‘chronic illness’ into ‘energy impairment’, or energy limiting chronic illness (ELCI) – a term that arguably best captures the most common and the most restricting aspect of a wide range of diseases and comorbidities. While it does not capture individual constellations of symptoms with systemic disease, or their shifting over time, energy impairment, according to the report, is an abstraction that describes the overall impact of diverse and fluctuating symptoms on function and on activity for a large group of disabled people who are otherwise invisible as a group; a concept that could be crucial as a tool for lobbying policy makers and politicians.
(Edited publisher abstract)
This report explores the distinction between impairment and disability in the experience of chronic illness to help identify the social causes of disadvantage and exclusion that restrict and diminish the lives of disabled people over and above the illnesses and diseases themselves. Findings of this study reveal that despite their diverse symptom clusters, limited energy and fatigue are by and large the most debilitating and restricting feature of chronic illness. Chapter One deals with experiences of impairment with chronic illness – what is it about the conditions that restricts activity and wellbeing in and of itself; and who does the ‘chronic illness’ label include. Chapter Two looks at experiences of disability, or what is more commonly referred to as ‘ableism’, with chronic illness – what are the ‘barriers’, whether material or cultural attitudes, that restrict or oppress us as disabled people. Chapter Three discusses the implications of this knowledge for taking collective action – it explores how communication strategies could support a more effective advocacy movement for chronic illness; and asks what participants' priorities are, in terms of social issues and public policy, for improving our lives. The report posits that the main strategy for a future advocacy movement is the reframing of ‘chronic illness’ into ‘energy impairment’, or energy limiting chronic illness (ELCI) – a term that arguably best captures the most common and the most restricting aspect of a wide range of diseases and comorbidities. While it does not capture individual constellations of symptoms with systemic disease, or their shifting over time, energy impairment, according to the report, is an abstraction that describes the overall impact of diverse and fluctuating symptoms on function and on activity for a large group of disabled people who are otherwise invisible as a group; a concept that could be crucial as a tool for lobbying policy makers and politicians.
(Edited publisher abstract)
Subject terms:
chronic fatigue syndrome, long term conditions, disabilities, social model, advocacy;
This report outlines the findings from a survey of 12,233 people based in 93 countries on MS and employment. It looks at the nature of employment, changes in working patterns, factors enabling people with MS to stay in work, types of MS in people in and out of employment, and effect of being a caregiver on employment status. The survey found that 43 per cent of people with MS who were not in employment had stopped working within three years of diagnosis. This figure rose to 70 per cent after ten years. 62 per cent of people with MS who were not in employment said fatigue prevented them from staying in work – far less than the 85 per cent reported in 2010. Fewer people had reduced their working hours or taken a short term absence compared to 2010 data and more people reported not needing to change their working pattern compared to 2010 data. The report suggests that effective changes and adaptations could keep more people with MS in work and that many of the changes required to enable people with MS to stay in employment, such as adaptations in the workplace or access to treatments, are achievable through advocacy.
(Edited publisher abstract)
This report outlines the findings from a survey of 12,233 people based in 93 countries on MS and employment. It looks at the nature of employment, changes in working patterns, factors enabling people with MS to stay in work, types of MS in people in and out of employment, and effect of being a caregiver on employment status. The survey found that 43 per cent of people with MS who were not in employment had stopped working within three years of diagnosis. This figure rose to 70 per cent after ten years. 62 per cent of people with MS who were not in employment said fatigue prevented them from staying in work – far less than the 85 per cent reported in 2010. Fewer people had reduced their working hours or taken a short term absence compared to 2010 data and more people reported not needing to change their working pattern compared to 2010 data. The report suggests that effective changes and adaptations could keep more people with MS in work and that many of the changes required to enable people with MS to stay in employment, such as adaptations in the workplace or access to treatments, are achievable through advocacy.
(Edited publisher abstract)
Disability and Society, 30(8), 2015, pp.1174-1191.
Publisher:
Taylor and Francis
This article presents the results of participatory research into the roles and practices of autistic self-advocates in the Netherlands, and the outcomes of their activities. The article discusses the history of Dutch autism self-advocacy, situating it within the history and practices of self-advocacy internationally and the socio-cultural context of the Netherlands. Particular reference is made to Judi Chamberlin’s model for building effective self-advocacy organisations. Key findings include the scope of significant achievements, and the identification of barriers to efficacy in the areas of governance, personal and organisational capacity, relationships with other organisations, and coalition-building. The research concludes by considering what practices could serve to build increased capacity and efficacy, based on the experiences of these and other self-advocates.
(Publisher abstract)
This article presents the results of participatory research into the roles and practices of autistic self-advocates in the Netherlands, and the outcomes of their activities. The article discusses the history of Dutch autism self-advocacy, situating it within the history and practices of self-advocacy internationally and the socio-cultural context of the Netherlands. Particular reference is made to Judi Chamberlin’s model for building effective self-advocacy organisations. Key findings include the scope of significant achievements, and the identification of barriers to efficacy in the areas of governance, personal and organisational capacity, relationships with other organisations, and coalition-building. The research concludes by considering what practices could serve to build increased capacity and efficacy, based on the experiences of these and other self-advocates.
(Publisher abstract)
This report offers the views of a wide range of disabled people about present UK disability policy and how they may best work to improve it. It draws on the discussions held at two meetings where disabled people shared their experience of living and working in austerity Britain from 2012 through to mid-2015 and attempted to identify possible strategies for the disabled people’s movement to improve it. More specifically, participants were clear that they wanted action on these four areas: education – to tackle the prejudice and stereotypes created by misrepresentation of disabled people; building on what they have achieved as disabled people and what they offer; building a positive narrative to create positive statements that promote change for the better; campaigning to get parity, and access to services which are accessible, inclusive, provide choice and give disabled people more control over their lives.
(Edited publisher abstract)
This report offers the views of a wide range of disabled people about present UK disability policy and how they may best work to improve it. It draws on the discussions held at two meetings where disabled people shared their experience of living and working in austerity Britain from 2012 through to mid-2015 and attempted to identify possible strategies for the disabled people’s movement to improve it. More specifically, participants were clear that they wanted action on these four areas: education – to tackle the prejudice and stereotypes created by misrepresentation of disabled people; building on what they have achieved as disabled people and what they offer; building a positive narrative to create positive statements that promote change for the better; campaigning to get parity, and access to services which are accessible, inclusive, provide choice and give disabled people more control over their lives.
(Edited publisher abstract)
Critical and Radical Social Work, 2(2), 2014, pp.159-174.
Publisher:
Policy Press
Britain's disability movement can be divided into two distinct phases. The first, reaching a peak in the late 1980s to mid-1990s, was seen by its leading activists as a civil rights movement, whereas the second has been a response to the recent and ongoing government spending cuts. The outlook and strategies of the current movement have much in common with its predecessor but also differ in important ways. In resisting cuts to disability benefits and services, today's disability activists have consciously established themselves as an important part of a wider resistance to austerity.
(Publisher abstract)
Britain's disability movement can be divided into two distinct phases. The first, reaching a peak in the late 1980s to mid-1990s, was seen by its leading activists as a civil rights movement, whereas the second has been a response to the recent and ongoing government spending cuts. The outlook and strategies of the current movement have much in common with its predecessor but also differ in important ways. In resisting cuts to disability benefits and services, today's disability activists have consciously established themselves as an important part of a wider resistance to austerity.
(Publisher abstract)
Purpose – This is an opinion piece about exploring fresh approaches to advocacy for older and disabled people. The purpose of the paper is to suggest a new role for professional advocates. Professional advocacy help can be an important first step to a stronger life or it can be a revolving door. It makes all the difference when we've got people around us who can help us to get over problems, and not feel we're stuck on our own. But most users of services have no one whom they can turn to when things get tough for them. What if we designed advocacy services so they acted on the causes of demand for advocacy, rather than delivered a number of advocacy transactions?
Design/methodology/approach – This article uses the experiences of Grapevine in Coventry and draws on the findings of a project conducted with advocacy organisations in the Midlands and South East, many of whom felt that professional advocacy was not getting to the root of the problem.
Findings – Advocacy practice is about being a corrective to failures in other services and an intermediary between service users and providers. It can be very vulnerable at times to being seen as an “add-on” of unproven value.
Practical implications – The article asks practitioners to consider the new role advocates might play in developing and connecting networks of local people for mutual help and support. This “community-powered” advocacy could provide effective root cause help and protect the sector's legitimacy during unprecedented financial austerity.
Originality/value – The paper is of value to practitioners and commissioners of advocacy services.
Purpose – This is an opinion piece about exploring fresh approaches to advocacy for older and disabled people. The purpose of the paper is to suggest a new role for professional advocates. Professional advocacy help can be an important first step to a stronger life or it can be a revolving door. It makes all the difference when we've got people around us who can help us to get over problems, and not feel we're stuck on our own. But most users of services have no one whom they can turn to when things get tough for them. What if we designed advocacy services so they acted on the causes of demand for advocacy, rather than delivered a number of advocacy transactions?
Design/methodology/approach – This article uses the experiences of Grapevine in Coventry and draws on the findings of a project conducted with advocacy organisations in the Midlands and South East, many of whom felt that professional advocacy was not getting to the root of the problem.
Findings – Advocacy practice is about being a corrective to failures in other services and an intermediary between service users and providers. It can be very vulnerable at times to being seen as an “add-on” of unproven value.
Practical implications – The article asks practitioners to consider the new role advocates might play in developing and connecting networks of local people for mutual help and support. This “community-powered” advocacy could provide effective root cause help and protect the sector's legitimacy during unprecedented financial austerity.
Originality/value – The paper is of value to practitioners and commissioners of advocacy services.
Subject terms:
advocacy, older people, disabilities, service users, community development;
Children and young people who are in care have a right to have their views and feelings heard and to be involved in decisions made about their lives. The Children’s Society runs 9 advocacy programmes across England. They provide support to children living in care, children leaving care and children with Special Educational Needs or disabilities. The aim of this review was to draw directly from
Children and young people who are in care have a right to have their views and feelings heard and to be involved in decisions made about their lives. The Children’s Society runs 9 advocacy programmes across England. They provide support to children living in care, children leaving care and children with Special Educational Needs or disabilities. The aim of this review was to draw directly from experience in The Children’s Society’s programmes for the period April 2010 to March 2012. The research included visits conducted with 3 of The Children’s Society’s advocacy programmes and telephone interviews conducted with practitioners from 3 other programmes. A representative sample of 142 case files from 2 programmes was also reviewed. The report provides evidence on the current demand and trends in advocacy provision, the observed benefits for both the children and young people advocated for and the local authorities commissioning the services, and the cost of provision. The findings show that independent advocates play a vital role in ensuring that children in care have their views heard and acted upon. However, access to quality independent advocacy is inconsistent, varying by where the child or young person lives or what their additional needs are. Recommendations to improve practice are provided.
Subject terms:
looked after children, special educational needs, advocacy, costs, disabilities;