- for people with learning disabilities
- short term advocacy
- for people with dementia
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THE HISTORY OF OADG 1989 - 2004
Registered Charity No: 1015858
Early Background:
In 1989 almost 100 local delegates from varied agencies and professional backgrounds attended a conference in Oxford called ‘A Voice for the Voiceless’. It was a response to a growing concern amongst health and social care professionals that the voices of people using their services were not being heard or taken into account. This was despite recent government directives about working in partnership with service users (including the need for independent advocacy) which was eventually enshrined in the National Health and Community Care Act 1990. As a result of the conference, Oxfordshire Advocacy Development Group (OADG) was formed to promote awareness of advocacy and to encourage the development of independent advocacy schemes. OADG, which was funded by Oxfordshire Social Services (SSD), became a charity in 1992 and held its first AGM in 1993 when a development officer was appointed.
From 1989 - 1995
a great deal of hard work was undertaken by a small group of people, negotiating with the Charity Commission, establishing the basic principles of advocacy, keeping advocacy at the forefront, seeking sufficient funding and encouraging the development of advocacy provision. OADG’s policy during this time, in line with national thinking, was not to run schemes itself, but to encourage the creation of local, community based projects. OADG also linked with other organisations and projects – such as ‘My Life, My Choice’ an Oxford charity that promotes self advocacy by people with learning disabilities – and on occasion backed urgent advocacy initiatives – for example on behalf of the elderly residents of residential homes which were being closed, as well as offering some training for advocates and professionals.
In 1988
Oxfordshire Health Authority had established a development post for advocacy for people with learning disabilities. With the support of this worker, a citizens’ advocacy scheme, managed by its own committee, was set up in the Vale of White Horse. This pioneering project created and sustained a number of partnerships and it continued working independently, but in cooperation with OADG, until 1999.
In 1991
OADG established a project for people with mental health problems with one worker at Littlemore Hospital. Although supported by OADG, it had its own management committee of users and non-users. It was a courageous project and achieved some successes over its lifetime, but the difficulty of running a single person service without the support of a wider organisation providing a framework of policies and procedures was a useful lesson learned for future projects. The scheme closed in 1993.
In 1993
‘Age Concern Oxfordshire’, with the support of OADG, set up an Older People’s Advocacy Project scheme for the Vale of White Horse, with a part-time worker. It was supported by a three year ‘Opportunities for Volunteering’ grant and offered advocacy support in the community, in a day care centre and a nursing home. A good cadre of advocates was recruited and some well-appreciated work was done. In 1996 when the grant ended, OADG funded it briefly until it received support from Comic Relief. Shortly after this, Age Concern reorganised all of its local services, of which this was one, but the need for advocacy for older people had been established and recognised.
In April 1995
in response to concerns about the closure in the city of a long-term hospital for people with learning disabilities and their resettlement into the community, OADG set up a scheme to focus specifically on this issue. It was called the Headington Advocacy Scheme (HAS), a co-ordinator was appointed to run it and it had its own management committee. The scheme was initially based on the original idea of ‘Citizen Advocacy’ in which advocates are selected from members of the same community and advocacy is seen as a partnership of two citizens with little need for any training or requirement for working within a policy framework. The development of a more structured approach gradually came about due to recognition of the vulnerability of the people using the service, and the need to maintain accountability and responsibility in response to this. Advocacy organisations nationally were developing the same way.
In January 1999
(HAS) changed its geographical focus, due to the increasing number of people being placed outside the Headington area, and the scheme was renamed as the Oxford and Cherwell Advocacy Scheme (OCAS) This scheme continued until 2000 when it was decided to rethink the way the service was offered and the co-ordinator was not replaced when he left.
In 1996
a major change in direction came about with a decision by the OADG Trustees to directly manage its own advocacy provision. Great time and effort had been expended in trying to stimulate the development of independent schemes in all parts of the county and two part-time development officers had been funded by the Social Services Department between 1993 and 1995, but the results had been minimal. When these officers resigned, they were not replaced. Furthermore, the arms-length relationship with each of the independent schemes which had come into being had brought its own problems.
The Oxfordshire Short Term Advocacy Scheme (OSTAS) was set up to offer short term independent advocacy county-wide, and a part-time coordinator was appointed in September to develop and run this service. An immediate initiative was to set up for the first time a fully worked out and solid training course for advocate volunteers.
The setting up of this new service presented many challenges. OADG had to be clear about the nature of the service it was offering and the way it was going to be delivered. Short-term work gives clear boundaries – advocacy has to be in response to an identified need, which has an ending in sight. This is markedly different from the aims of citizen advocacy with people with learning disabilities in which time is allowed to enable the advocate volunteer (the advocate) to get to know the person he/she is advocating for (the partner) before establishing the issue or issues to be addressed. It was also important to establish a clear framework of policy and guidance within which the advocates should work and a method of ensuring that all advocates were aware of these policies and would agree to work with them. As a result an advocacy agreement form was drawn up. All advocates would work under the supervision of the co-ordinator and would attend the two-day training course before starting work. Advocates are now also police checked before they start work.
In August 1998
in response to the increasing complexity of its work, OADG appointed a part time manager to oversee the work and its development and to provide line management to the staff. The manager attends the monthly trustee meetings and is a member of the many working groups set up by the Committee.
In May 2000
a second part time co-ordinator was appointed to this scheme and this enabled OSTAS to expand its work and to set up a more structured data collection process.
In 2000,
in response to a growing concern about the specific need of people of all ages with dementia, a new advocacy service was set up in partnership with the Clive Project and the Alzheimer’s Society. The scheme was called the All-age Dementia Advocacy Project (ADAPt). Despite vigorous efforts by the co-ordinator, this scheme was unable to attract sufficient volunteers and it was finally agreed in November 2001 to follow the lead of other similar advocacy schemes nationally, and set up a paid advocacy scheme for people with dementia. This has now been running since November 2001 and achieves not only independent advocacy for individuals but also a considerable amount of education and awareness raising amongst the health and social care professionals with whom the advocate works.
In May 2002
OADG was able, with the help of a Department of Health grant administered by the British Institute for Learning Disabilities (BILD), to start a new advocacy scheme for people with learning disabilities called Citizen Advocacy for People of Oxfordshire with Learning Disabilities (CAPOLD). For a long time OADG had been concerned that OSTAS, with its focus on short-term work, inevitably excluded people who needed a much longer time to be able to say what they wanted and to express their opinions. This may be due to communication difficulties, lack of experience or more often lack of confidence as a result of not being included or valued. The funding that became available through the White paper ‘Valuing People’, gave OADG an opportunity to address this problem.
CAPOLD offers longer-term advocacy, which allows time for an understanding to develop before advocacy takes place. Volunteers are trained, supervised, police checked and work within OADG’s policies in the same way as OSTAS volunteers.
In 2003
a new step was taken when, after much discussion, it was decided that we should offer some form of advocacy service to people who are not able to express what they want, even after working with an advocate over a long period. OADG agreed that in these circumstances it couldn’t offer advocacy, as advocates cannot express what someone else wants if they are not able to ascertain what this is. This accords with the basic principle of advocacy, which is that it has to be authorised (in whatever way this is established) by the person concerned. OADG recognised it was important to be able to question the assumption of a person’s ‘best interest’ being the same as with what that person would have wanted for themselves. A decision was made to set up a service entitled non-instructed advocacy, which would have clear guidelines and accountability. The non-instructed advocate would be able to ask questions and raise awareness of their partner’s rights and entitlements from an independent standpoint.
In November 2003
OADG undertook a one year commission for the local Learning Disability Partnership Board, which operates under the DoH White Paper, ‘Valuing People’ to find out about the concerns and needs of the older carers of people with learning disabilities and to see whether a specific advocacy scheme for older carers is needed. The project is called the Older Carers and Advocacy Project (OCAP) and has a part-time worker.
Additionally OADG has provided information as needed – including completing a project mapping all the local advocacy and advice centres to support the work of NHS Direct and the Patients Advice and Liaison Service (PALS).
OADG also provides training for its volunteers and a range of people including health care and social services professionals, youth and community workers and for disabled people and their carers. It has held seminars on issues relating to advocacy. Information and training which increases awareness of advocacy and of people’s rights to be heard helps to support the work of advocacy at every level and is an important part of OADG’s work.
Volunteer advocates are central to the work of OADG and social evenings, which give an opportunity for the trustees, staff and volunteers to get together, have been arranged. More recently OADG has been able to offer volunteers undertaking training the opportunity to gain a recognised qualification for their advocacy work. The qualification is provided through accreditation by the Open College Network (OCN) at level three for those who wish to take this up.
A Management Committee, whose members are also normally trustees, has managed OADG from the start. Trustees come from a range of
backgrounds and contribute their experience and expertise to the work of OADG. Meetings are held monthly. Additionally OADG trustees work on subcommittees to address specific issues e.g. personnel issues, fundraising and policy development.
OADG continues to respond to new challenges often as a result of Government policies and directives. It is always looking for new ways to deliver and evaluate the service offered, with the aim of ensuring that everyone who contacts the service is able to play a significant part in decisions made about their own lives and to have their rights respected. |
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