- for people with learning disabilities
- short term advocacy
- for people with dementia
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NON-INSTRUCTED ADVOCACY
Non-instructed advocacy is a form of advocacy that sets out to support those people who are not able to instruct an advocate or to say what they want for reasons of communication difficulties, lack of comprehension, severe learning disability or dementia. It is something that O.A.D.G. spent a long time discussing and planning as it is a difficult area of work. Its aim is to support those who are most vulnerable and least able to be a part of decisions made about them.
Non-instructed advocacy is about:
- Supporting the partner to be significant in their own life
- Trying to ensure that the partner is enabled to live in the way they choose as far as is possible
- Trying different ways to communicate and gather information from the partner
- Building up an idea of what the world is like from the partner’s point of view
- Ensuring that the partner is not pushed to one side when decisions are made
- Treating people with respect and acknowledging that we are all individuals
- Enabling the partner to influence decisions that are made about them even if it is not possible to ascertain what they want
- Asking questions to ensure that every possibility is looked at
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"It does not take too much clairvoyance to see that someone who is pacing up and down a corridor, staring out of the window and pounding his fist against the wall with a nurse saying ‘No Johnny, you can’t go out’ needs someone who can ask ‘Why can’t Johnny go out?’"
(Joel Rasbash, PoHwer Advocacy) |
THE O.A.D.G. APPROACH TO NON-INSTRUCTED ADVOCACY
The OADG approach is a combination of rights-based and person-centred working. We believe that everything possible should be done to try to establish a channel of communication with the partner. Once it is decided that the advocate cannot find out what the partner wants on a particular issue or they don’t appear to understand the decision to be made then the advocate will state to those involved with the partner that this is the case. They will then explain that they are doing non-instructed advocacy. This will involve a combination of observing the partner, seeing how s/he responds to changes and people as well as what appears to make him/her happy and asking questions to ascertain what options have been considered.
Asking questions of the relevant people and having some insight into the partner ensures that:
- All options are considered
- The partner’s preferences and personal tastes are taken into account
- That their rights are respected
- No particular agenda is being followed
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