M502 Purpose And Principles Of Independent Advocacy

Questions: Understand Independent Advocacy 1.1 Define Independent Advocacy 1.2 Explain the limits to Advocacy and boundaries to the service 1.3 Identify the different steps within the Advocacy process 1.4 Distinguish when Independent Advocacy can and cannot help 1.5 Identify a range of services Independent Advocates commonly signpost to 1.6 Explain the difference between Advocacy provided by Independent Advocates and other people Explain principles and values underpinning Independent Advocacy 2.1 Explain the key principles underpinning Independent Advocacy 2.2 Explain why the key principles are important Describe the development of Advocacy 3.1 Explain the purpose of Independent Advocacy 3.2 Identify key milestones in the history of Advocacy 3.3 Explain the wider policy context of Advocacy Be able to explain different types of Advocacy support and their purpose 4.1 Compare a range of Advocacy models 4.2 Explain the purpose of different Advocacy models 4.3 Identify the commonalities and differences in a range of Advocacy models Understand the roles and responsibilities of an Independent Advocate 5.1 Explain roles and responsibilities within Independent Advocacy 5.2 Describe the limits and boundaries of an Independent Advocate 5.3 Describe the skills, attitudes and personal attributes of a good Advocate 5.4 Identify when and who to seek advice from when faced with dilemmas Understand Advocacy standards 6.1 Describe a range of standards which apply to Independent Advocacy 6.2 Explain how standards can impact on the Advocacy role and service Answers: 1. Understand Independent Advocacy 1.1 Independent Advocacy is a procedure which exists basically to empower people to have more authority and control over their lives. Usually those who form part of the oppressed section of the society are the ones who are benefited or empowered to raise their voices. Our society benefits from having this procedure as people’s problems can be heard and solved. It could pave the way to achieve Natural Justice. 1.2 Independent advocacy as a procedure is very successful in helping people solve their problems. There are certain limitations though. Firstly they are not allowed to provide general service which also includes not making the decision on behalf of any person. They are not supposed to help in any way to fill up forms or even remotely help in mediation. Independent advocates are not supposed to befriend any person. Professionalism is a must. They are not supposed to act as personal counselors or consultants. Independent Advocates are not supposed to speak for that group of people who are willing and ready to speak for themselves. They are also not duty bound to agree with whatever people say or tell them to do. Independent advocates are allowed to take their own decisions. 1.3 There are certain steps which are involved while dealing with the Advocacy process. Firstly those dealing in Independent Advocacy should be aware about the issue at hand. Knowing the issue forms a vital part. Secondly the objective should be clear. Developing a sound strategy is also very important because without proper strategy and planning the whole enterprise would be a failure. After all these steps the next vital step would be related to resource allocation. The resources which are supposed to be mobilized have to be looked into. The final step involves monitoring all the steps properly. Without proper monitoring and evaluation the whole thing falls apart. 1.4 An Independent Advocate can help in sorting out a lot of issues. Firstly they can help in setting up a meet with the department relating to social work. Secondly they can help in providing information regarding any appointment with a General Physician or any other appointments regarding to any health issue. Any issues relating to housing can also be looked into by them. Independent Advocate cannot help in making the choice directly for any person. They can only guide by advising a person by exploring the different possible outcomes of their decisions which means that they act as a guiding force. The person ultimately has to take the decision. They only act as a support system. 1.5 There are various services which an Independent Advocates provides. Some of them include helping people to access any sort of information or help in accessing any sort of services. They help in exploring different kinds of possibilities or choices available to a party. They also help by advising them about varied issues and also help in protecting and defending the different rights and responsibilities available to that person or people at large. 1.6 Advocacy provided by Independent Advocates does differ from that provided by other people because besides self advocacy there are other forms of advocacy too. There are various types like Group Advocacy, Professional Advocacy, Citizen Advocacy other than Self Advocacy. Explaining a few of them, Group Advocacy is that where people from various backgrounds having a common intention and thought process come together to discuss their issues. Citizen Advocacy on the other hand includes people belonging to a local community who come together to discuss their issues. This advocacy is that kind of a partnership which exists for the long term and is not limited by time. 2. Explain The Key Principles Underpinning Independent Advocacy. There are certain key principles which are vital while professing Independent Advocacy. Firstly there should be clarity of purpose. The purpose should be clear as to why a person is professing Independent Advocacy. Secondly there is complete freedom and independence which basically means that these advocates are independent of statutory organizations and also they do not suffer from any conflict of interest. Thirdly the principle of empowering the people is vital. Another important principle of professing Independent Advocacy is that of providing equal opportunity which means that there is no inequality. The services provided by Independent Advocates are usually free to people who are eligible. 2.1 The key principles of Independent Advocacy are important because the work of the advocates may be hampered if there is conflict of interest. The principles are also very important because people who are in the need of an advocate may consist of those who are actually sensitive to the connection that exists between the advocate and the organization or other people. 3. The concept of Independent Advocacy is not that new. This concept has existed for almost thirty years in the UK. There are varied models and schemes which have come into existence of Advocacy. Each of these models have some unique characteristics of themselves. There is very little evidence to support how effective the concept of Advocacy is. This is because of the varied kind of definitions on the concept. There is no fixed definition. Some definitions suggest that the concept of advocacy exists to increase the self confidence of people so that they can voice their opinion about their issues. 3.1 The main purpose of Independent Advocacy is to help people who are abused or discriminated against and who really need the service provided by Independent Advocates. It allows them to voice their opinion on matters that relate to them. They also provide people with necessary information which helps them to take correct decisions. The main purpose in a nutshell is to protect and preserve the rights and the interests of the people at large. 3.2 After the advent of the concept of Advocacy it has achieved considerable milestones in helping people all around. Those who form the oppressed part of the society have finally been able to voice their opinion regarding the various issues that they face on a daily basis. Some of the fields in which Advocacy has achieved success are in the field of federal agencies. The funding of these agencies have increased. Besides this there are many other fields where people have been able to get Natural Justice due to the advent of the concept of Advocacy. 3.3 There are certain important policies and principles which are followed while professing Advocacy. Firstly there should be clarity of purpose which means that if the purpose of Advocacy is not clear then the whole thing falls apart. The aims and objectives of the person professing Advocacy should be clear and there should be no ambiguity. Another policy is that of providing equal opportunities which means that while professing Advocacy all sorts of issues should be looked into whether it be issues relating to discrimination or any form of inequality. Empowerment of the people is vital. 4. Explain The Different Types Of Advocacy Support And Their Purpose. People often face legal problems while doing their job or day to day activities and therefore they seek the help of an advocate for guidance. On the basis of the different problems faced by people and the advocacy sought by them, it can be categorized as statutory advocacy, case advocacy, citizen advocacy, peer advocacy, self advocacy, etc. The purpose of the different types of advocacy is that a person may require different type of advocacy at different time. 4.1 The models are prepared based on the different types of problems faced by people. The names of the different advocacy models helps in distinguishing and categorizing the problems faced the suffered party. For example, in statutory advocacy, an aggrieved person can seek help of an advocate and he is entitled to such right. On the other hand, case advocacy deals with helping the client and acting on his behalf to gain access to the required documents, services and resources. So it is clear that each advocacy deals with different aspect. 4.2 The advocacy models have been laid down to distinguish each work undertaken from another work or problem. To minimize the lack in comprehending and understanding the nature and mode of work, different advocacy models are required. These advocacy models help in promoting the voices of the suffered party so that it can reach across the concerned authorities. 4.3 Identify the commonalities and differences in a range of advocacy models The advocacy model is based on the different types of problems faced by people at different sphere of their life. The common factor between all the advocacy models is that all are dedicated to help the people who seek the guidance of a professional individual. The independent advocacy is dedicated to help the people to have a strong and effective voice. The different types of advocacy models have different role. The use of an advocacy model depends on the type of problem. 5. It has already been noted above that in independent advocacy the advocate helps the suffered party to voice his grievance and seek help and guidance accordingly. Therefore, the role of an independent advocate is to properly guide the aggrieved party so that he gets justice. The advocate is duty bound to speak on behalf of those people who are unable to raise voices for themselves and carry their grievances to the concerned authorities and to the worlds at large. 5.1 The advocate is bound by certain rules and standards while performing his duties as a professional. The main task in independent advocacy is to speak and act on behalf of those people who have been socially marginalized or his unable to voice their grievance. The role of an advocate within the ambit of independent advocacy is to stand with the aggrieved people and help him to have a stronger and effective voice. 5.2 An independent advocate is bound by the standards of the independent advocacy and cannot act beyond it. The rules and standards have been laid down in such a way so that the advocate and his client do not face problems later on. The client will know from beforehand what to expect from an advocate and what is the role and responsibility of the advocate. The advocate is therefore expected to render their service within the ambit of the standards for independent advocacy. 5.3 An advocate to be successful must possess certain qualities. They must have proper knowledge of their field. They should possess good communication skills, and presentation skills. They should be able to maintain collaboration and coordination. The most important attitude is their professionalism. 5.4 People often face dilemmas while performing their job or activities in everyday life. To solve their problems they seek help of an advocate who will guide them and help in acting on their behalf if they are socially marginalized or if the concerned authorities refuse to listen to their voice. The aggrieved party can take help of an advocate as it is their right. The aggrieved party can seek help of an advocate if they are facing any dilemma or facing any legal problem. 6. Understand Advocacy Standards. Keeping in view the modern complexities and problems, in every sphere, for most of the professionals certain guidelines have been laid down which are expected to be followed by a professional. An advocate is also expected to follow the standards which have been laid down specifically for this profession. In independent advocacy, the professional is expected to not only know these guidelines but also understand them and adhere by them while providing guidance to the aggrieved client. 6.1 To maintain a proper, balanced and transparent independent advocacy certain standards have been laid down and are expected to be followed by both the advocate and clients. The people are expected to know these standards too so that they know whether they are being guided properly. These standards are expected to be followed by the advocates while providing guidance to their clients. 6.2 The standards have been set out to help the advocates and the common people who seek their advice. These standards help in maintaining the relation between the advocates and their clients. The advocates are expected to adhere by such rules and standards. This in return helps the client who came for advice as to what to expect from the advocate. These standards lays down the responsibilities and duties as expected from an advocate. The standards, if was not present would have led to a chaos between the advocates and clients and instead of help and guidance the client would have been more confused. References Barnes, Colin. “Independent living, politics and policy in the United Kingdom: A social model account.” Review of Disability Studies: An International Journal 1.4 (2014). Bush, Stephen C., and Laurie S. Sansbury. “The Essence of Justice: Independent, Ethical, and Zealous Advocacy by Juvenile Defenders.” U. Mem. L. Rev. 44 (2013): 799. Cole, David. “The First Amendment’s Borders: The Place of Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project in First Amendment Doctrine.” Harv. L. & Pol’y Rev. 6 (2012): 147. Dalrymple, Jane, and Jane Boylan. Effective advocacy in social work. Sage, 2013. Grogan, Paul, and Sanchia Aranda. “Advocacy in Cancer and Chronic Conditions—Challenges and Opportunities.” Cancer and Chronic Conditions. Springer Singapore, 2016. 315-339. Hardwick, Louise. “Advocacy versus social work: what the setting-up of an advocacy rights hub reveals about social work’s ability to promote social inclusion.” British Journal of Social Work 44.7 (2013): 1700-1716. Jenkins, Robert. “Using advocacy to safeguard older people with learning disabilities: Robert Jenkins discusses how nurses can promote the use of independent advocates to help protect this increasing group of patients from abuse.” Nursing older people 24.6 (2012): 31-36. Jung, Tobias, Julia Kaufmann, and Jenny Harrow. “When funders do direct advocacy: An exploration of the United Kingdom’s Corston Independent Funders’ Coalition.” Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly 43.1 (2014): 36-56. Morgan, James. Spirit of Advocacy. Theory and practice in independent advocacy: an historical and qualitative analysis using Practical Theology. Diss. King’s College London, 2014. Morgan, James. Spirit of Advocacy. Theory and practice in independent advocacy: an historical and qualitative analysis using Practical Theology. Diss. King’s College London, 2014. Pona, Iryna, and David Hounsell. “The value of independent advocacy for looked after children and young people.” The Children’s Society: London (2012). Pona, Iryna, and David Hounsell. “The value of independent advocacy for looked after children and young people.” The Children’s Society: London (2012). Sherwood-Johnson, Fiona. “Independent advocacy in adult support and protection work.” The Journal of Adult Protection 18.2 (2016): 109-118. Stavert, Jill. “The exercise of legal capacity, supported decision-making and Scotland’s mental health and incapacity legislation: working with CRPD challenges.” Laws 4.2 (2015): 296-313. Wilks, Tom. Advocacy and social work practice. McGraw-Hill Education (UK), 2012. Zwier, Paul J., and Alexander Barney. “Moving to an Oral Adversarial System in Mexico: Jurisprudential, Criminal Procedure, Evidence Law, and Trial Advocacy Implications.” Emory Int’l L. Rev. 26 (2012): 189.

M502 Purpose And Principles Of Independent Advocacy

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