1. Advocacy

2. What is Advocacy?
For our purposes, ‘acting to secure the rights of an individual – be it ourselves or on behalf of someone else’.
Supporting and encouraging the people we support to exercise their rights and personal preferences without compromising their safety and that of others. (remember duty of care vs dignity of risk?)
Our customers advocate for themselves.
By the nature of our work, we are
always advocating for the people we support.
In actual fact, as CSWs you are often the most powerful advocate the customers you support have.
What is an example of self-advocacy of a customer in your work?
How do you advocate for the people you support?

3. Systematic Advocacy: Known as Systemic Advocacy in Australia
Systemic Advocacy is more about changing systems and laws.
Moss and Angela will likely talk to you about some of the systemic advocacy cases that DRAS has worked on.

4. Self-Advocacy
The ability to be assertive, stand up for yourself and what is important to you is called self-advocacy. It enables you to express your needs and communicate with people concerning your thoughts and feelings.
It also enables you to make choices and decisions that influence your life, and to know your rights and responsibilities. The objective of self-advocacy is that you make your own plan; you decide what you want and how to get it.
We have discussed this a lot: even if our customers seem unable to make a decision or make a choice because they are non-verbal, they are still able to communicate in some way that tells us their preferences. I could be an expression, a body movement, a sound. When we don’t allow choice, or make decisions for someone who has the ability to take part in that decision making, we breach their human right to self-determination.

5. Self Advocacy (cont’d)
For people with greater decision-making capability, self- advocacy can extend to planning and managing their entire life, including dealing with agencies and systems that try to – or unwittingly – deny them their rights.
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6. Individual Advocacy
As support workers we advocate on behalf of the people we support everyday.
We do things to support our customers reach their goals and achieve their rights.
When we do this, it is individual advocacy.
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What are some examples of individual advocacy undertaken regularly by CSWs?

7. Systemic Advocacy
Systemic advocacy is when you work to fix a problem that affects a lot of people.
As a CSW you might advocate for a change in Cara’s processes and systems, but widespread change to systems is not in your job description.
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What might be some examples of systemic advocacy at work?

8. Referral
There will be times where you won’t have the time, energy, skills or expertise to help your customer who has been discriminated against.
When this happens, the best thing to do is to seek permission from your customer or their guardian to contact a disability advocacy agency.
NDAP services are the most appropriate person or service to assist to maximise outcomes for the person you are supporting.
What discrimination might your customers face?
NDAP – National Disability Advocacy Program.

9. Horses for Courses…
Different agencies have different service models and different service regions. Know where yours are located: (they will mostly come to you)
Disability Advocacy and Complaints Service SA (DACSSA):
33 Franklin St, Adelaide, 5000
Ph:
Adelaide metropolitan area + regional SA via phone or skype
Pt Pirie, Pt Augusta, Kadina and Pt Lincoln should contact DACSSA

10. Horses for Courses…
Advocacy for Disability Access and Inclusion (ADAI):
149 Currie St, Adelaide 5000
advocacyfordisability.org.au
Specialises in family advocacy and NDIS appeals. Adelaide metro
Brain Injury SA
70 Light Square, Adelaide 5000 Ph
braininjurysa.org.au
Brain injury + NDIS appeals

11. Disability Rights Advocacy Service
4/80 Henley Beach Road (in Dew St)
Mile End, SA, 5011 Ph
All metro areas up through Adelaide Hills (& Murray Bridge by arrangement)
Riverland
South East and Murraylands
Individual advocacy, Systemic advocacy, NDIS Appeals.
*Special expertise with people for whom
English is a second language

12. Disability rights Advocacy Service
Guest Speakers
Disability rights Advocacy Service
Moss Politis, CEO

13. Not just finding possible in Cara, but making possible through advocacy