Advocacy Project

Advocacy in Specialist Services

The Advocacy Project?

• Winterbourne taught us lessons about the need for good advocacy for people living in specialist services – everyone at Winterbourne had an advocate

• What are the advocacy arrangements for people living in specialist services across the North East?

• What needs to happen to ensure all people living in specialist services have good advocacy support?

Involved in the work Inclusion North were commissioned to lead and deliver the work.

•The Advocacy Project Steering Group includes:•Judith Thompson•Neil Harrison – Hartlepool Commissioner •Stan Cooke - Family member •Kellie Woodley– Inclusion North •Barry Ingham – Psychologist NTW •Dave norman – Skills for People – TEWV•Pam Lawrence - NEAC

What we started with..

• Scoping with all PCT Commissioners across the North East

• Initial Scoping with LA Commissioners

• Advocacy Providers

Feedback Commissioners • Expectation of it being commissioned • Monitoring and quality – unsure • Little strategic influence • Statutory advocacy is available for those who

qualify • Confusion of advocacy provision by service

providers • No measure of quality

Feedback Advocacy Providers • Statutory – IMHA / IMCA (many people fall outside of

this remit) • General case advocacy - being cut and patchy• Coming into the area - no support• Access to advocacy – reliant upon staff, little real

presence in services • Delivery of advocacy – lots of organisations, little

cohesion, little strategic influence and no money for it• Strategic development – working together• Monitoring – not good enough, past good examples,

drop ins, asked to monitor the wrong things• Current approach consistently increases demand

Understanding Advocacy

I.M.C.A.

I.M.H.A.

C.O.P

P.A.L.S.

COMPLAINTS

LAY ASSESSORS

C.Q.C.

LINKS

OFSTED

I.S.D.

PEER GROUPS

R.P.R.

B.I.A.

SAFEGUARDING

L.A.D.O.

M.A.P.P.A

M.A.R.A.C

P.C.P.

ADVOCATES

LEGAL

CITIZEN

SELF

PEER

QUALITY CHECKERS

PARENT & CARERS

BROKERAGE

WHISTLEBLOWINGCRITICAL FRIEND

CITIZENS

SHA Project - do it and prove it! • Develop and define what good self advocacy

looks like in specialist services (people must be heard)

• Develop and define what a good family empowerment program would look like (families need to be empowered)

• Share the Tees Commissioning Advocacy Framework is in a written report (an approach for good commissioning)

Funding is focused

Little investment

Focus our Attention

Funding continues

Developing Self Advocacy

Some of what people told us – •It’s a tough place to live – should be a relaxing place •Need to be better supported to have a say•People should be involved in choosing and training staff•People should be given better information

Family Empowerment

Some of what people told us•Want help to be more involved •Feel they are not always listened to •More information about how to be involved would help•Basic advocacy skills training•Better facilities for families – a room/flat, able to stay over

Tees Commissioning

• A Tees wide approach to commissioning advocacy - hub and spoke

• Offering a range of Advocacy – including having a presence in services

• This is still being produced with the local commissioners

Some Big Messages

• Advocacy is everyone’s job – day to day, ‘looking out for’

• Paid advocacy is important but not enough on its own

• People want on going support to gain confidence - it’s hard!!

• Families want to have the chance to be involved in ALL areas of care

• Profession arrogance – who knows best?• Treating people as equals?• Medical model?• Who is responsible?• Is it too difficult?• Does everyone get the same service?

Stronger advocacy project department of health project

Share our work nationally - working in partnership with -

•National Forum•National families Forum•Housing and Support Alliance