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 WHISTLEBLOWING CRITICAL 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)

Statutory advocacy General case advocacy User Involvement Family Voice Citizen Advocacy Peer Advocacy Self advocacy Funding is focused Little investment

Self Advocacy Peer Advocacy Citizen Advocacy Family Voice User Involvement G eneral advocacy Statutory 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