Reasons to be Cheerful?Advocacy and the new government

Martin CoyleDeputy Chief Executive

ABOUT A4A

Mission: “To ensure a strong and equal voice for all citizens” Cover England and Wales Provide information, training and developmental support Engage with external stakeholders as an honest broker Run the Advocacy Quality Performance Mark Advocate for advocacy to government

THEMES FROM ADULT ADVOCACY

Spending cuts Statutory duties vs good practice Increased emphasis on outcomes Professionalism and registration Need for more sophisticated monitoring What advocacy will be valued? What will the sector look like in 3 years? Liberating the NHS

THE VOICE OF TWITTER

“So I'm shouting down tory cuts, cheering for the miners, students are

politicised and I’m eating wotsits. It's the 80s again, innit.”

It’s not the 80s

RECENT HISTORY

Massive expansion of the advocacy sector Has influenced policy in a large way Greater acceptance of people’s right to choose Stronger equalities focus Quality is stronger Enshrined in legislation

EARLY SIGNS - YOUNG PEOPLE’S SERVICES

We want all young people to be self-confident, motivated and equipped with the skills they need to succeed in life. We want society to value young people for their achievements and the contribution they make to their communities.

To achieve this, we need a level playing field of opportunity. So, in time, every 16-year-old will benefit from participating in the National Citizens Service. We also aim to improve support for vulnerable groups, with better intervention to prevent issues such as substance misuse, teenage pregnancy and youth crime.

We will help local partners look for better ways to empower young people, creating more opportunities for them to engage in local decision making and democracy in their communities. This section contains information about how we plan to achieve these goals.

www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/youngpeoplesservices

BUT IT’S EARLY DAYS

STRAWS IN THE WIND

The DEFICIT Big Society Localism Personalisation Health white paper Fairness

THE DEFICIT

Pressure on spending Public sector cuts will be large Move towards outsourcing provision Blurring of lines between sectors Value for money comes into focus Proof of impact is needed – anecdotes are not enough

"People loved what we did. Too few of them liked the idea of paying for it“

Julian Dobson on the close of New Start

THE BIG SOCIETY

The plan is that there is no plan It will be messy Could be a cover up for large cuts Could be a hopeful rebalancing of state and society Could address fundamental mistrust Definitely means we have to think about public

engagement and role of volunteers

LOCALISM

Which government? Who is setting the agendas? Contraction or expansion – Mental Health Measure Local implementation of statutory obligations Know who you need to influence Local democratic influence on spending

PERSONALISATION

Not just about personal budgets Is meant to ensure all services revolve round the person The language of personalisation is the language of advocacy “From safetynet to springboard”

HEALTH WHITE PAPER

“Equity and Excellence” “Nothing about me without me” Recognition of failure to engage with some groups “Excellent services are useless if people are not willing

or able to access them” GP commissioning consortia Healthwatch and ICAS Engaged patients save money

ARE THE WORDS CHANGING?

Coalition commitment to fairness Future of EHRC is being considered Focus on responsibility as well as rights Regulation is downplayed Dignity is promoted Emotional intelligence or self reliance? Empowerment seems to have survived

KEY MESSAGES

Many government agendas will need advocacy We must be better at engaging with the public Pressure to demonstrate our outcomes Fairness and equity can be served by advocacy Demand for services likely to increase

Martin Coyle

Info“@actionforadvocacy.org.uk martin@actionforadvocacy.org.uk

www.actionforadvocacy.org.uk