South Yorkshire Centre For Inclusive Living

ENABLE - Advocacy Service

Helen Butler with a client of the Advocacy Service

What is Advocacy?

Sometimes it can be hard to speak up for what you want. Advocacy can help you to speak up. Our advocacy team can work with you to find out about your choices, help you to speak up for what you want to make, and help you make sure that your views are heard.

The Enable Advocacy Service at SYCIL

The ENABLE Advocacy Service aims to support people with a physical and / or sensory impairment to find and use information and services which can help them to live their lives in the way they want to. We are always striving to improve the range of support which the service can provide to service users, and recently the Advocacy Service Co-ordinator completed a basic course in British Sign Language in order to increase the accessibility of the advocacy service to service users who use British Sign Language.

What the ENABLE Advocacy Service Can Offer:-

• One to One sessions
• Drop in session at SYCIL
• Assisting in established self-advocacy groups around Doncaster
• Training of volunteer advocates
• Outreach surgeries in Community Centres and GP Practices

The Benefits of Independent Advocacy

At SYCIL we aim to promote self-advocacy through providing an independent advocacy service for disabled people. Through working with individual service users, we have found that there are significant benefits to be gained for both the individual, and the wider community from making independent advocacy services available to the local population. The most important of these include:

• Advocacy helps people to have their say, which is especially important for those who do not have family or friends nearby to help them.
• Advocacy helps people to find out about and access information and services that could help them.
• Advocacy helps to reduce social exclusion and promote inclusion within wider society.
• In helping people to have their say and address important issues in their lives, advocacy can help to reduce anxiety and depression.
• Advocacy can encourage self-management of long term issues and promote service users' independence.
• Advocacy can reduce poverty for the individual and local community by increasing access to welfare benefits advice.
• Advocacy can improve home safety for vulnerable people by increasing knowledge of equipment.

The Advocacy Charter

The ENABLE Advocacy Service works to the standards set out in The Advocacy Charter, which are commonly used amongst independent advocacy services.

INDEPENDENCE

The advocacy scheme will be structurally independent from statutory organisations and preferably from all service provider agencies. The advocacy scheme will be as free from conflict of interest as possible in both design and operation, and actively seek to reduce conflicting interests.

EMPOWERMENT

The advocacy scheme will support self-advocacy and empowerment through its work. People who use the scheme should have a say in the level of involvement and style of advocacy they want. Schemes will ensure that people who want to, can influence and be involved in the running and management of the scheme.

ACCOUNTABILITY

The advocacy scheme will have in place systems for the effective monitoring and evaluation of its work. All those who use the scheme will have a named advocate and a means of contacting them.

SUPPORTING ADVOCATES

The advocacy scheme will ensure that advocates are prepared, trained and supported in their role and provided with opportunities to develop their skills and experience.

COMPLAINTS

The advocacy scheme will have a written policy describing how to make complaints or give feedback on individual advocates. Where necessary, the scheme will enable people who use the services to access external independent support to make or pursue a complaint.

CLARITY OF PURPOSE

The advocacy scheme will have clearly stated aims and objectives and be able to demonstrate how it meets the principles contained in this Charter. Advocacy schemes will ensure that people they advocate for, service providers and funding agencies have information on the scope and limitations of the scheme's role.

PUTTING PEOPLE FIRST

The advocacy scheme will ensure that the wishes and interests of the people they advocate for direct advocates' work. Advocates should be non-judgmental and respectful of peoples' needs, views and experiences. Advocates will ensure that information concerning the people they advocate for is shared with these individuals.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

The advocacy scheme will have a written equal opportunities policy that recognises the need to be proactive in tackling all forms of inequality, discrimination and social exclusion. The scheme will have in place systems for the fair and equitable allocation of advocates' time.

ACCESSIBILITY

Advocacy will be provided free of charge to eligible people. The advocacy scheme will aim to ensure that its premises, policies procedures and publicity materials promote access for the whole community.

CONFIDENTIALITY

The advocacy scheme will have a written policy on confidentiality, stating that information known about a person using the scheme is confidential to the scheme and any circumstances under which confidentiality might be breached.

CASE STUDY

Feeling Years Younger

Mrs. Knight attended her local Sunshine Club on the day that Helen Butler, SYCIL's Advocacy Service Co-ordinator had been asked to do a presentation to the group.

Mrs. Knight was very interested in Helen's talk and explained that she was almost housebound because of her disability and would love to be able to go out for day trips, but didn't know how this could happen. On returning to SYCIL Helen immediately went to work and arranged to visit Mrs. Knight at home with a representative of an organisation that offers 1:1 support taking disabled people on day trips and holidays.

Three days after meeting Helen, Mrs. Knight was taken to Cleethorpes for the day and has never looked back since. She now enjoys regular trips to places such as Selby Abbey, Bridlington, Frenchgate and Garden Centres.

Mrs. Knight says that meeting Helen changed her life, she is now getting out and about, something she never dreamed she would be able to do, and it's made her feel years younger.

ENABLE Advocacy will try to support service users to get whatever information or help they need to help them to exercise choice and control over their lives. However, there are some things which lots of people ask us about. Below are answers to some frequently asked questions which you might find helpful?

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. I have heard about Direct Payments, and understand that as a disabled person I could be able to use them to help me, but don't really know much about how Direct payments work. Can you tell me more?

A. The Community Care (Direct Payments) Act 1996 means that Local Authorities can make cash payments to service users in lieu of providing or arranging to provide services to meet an individual's assessed community care needs. People in receipt of Direct Payments then use this money to obtain for themselves the services they need, e.g. by employing their own personal assistants.

If you want to find out more about whether Direct Payments might be suitable for you contact, Direct Payments, Social Services First (Adults), P.O. Box 251, The Council House, College Road, Doncaster, DN1 3DA, Telephone (01302) 737391, E-Mail social.services@doncaster.gov.uk

Q. I find it difficult to take my bin out to be emptied each week. As a disabled person is there any help available to do this?

A. If you need help with moving your bin to be emptied, then if you contact Doncaster Council they will be able to arrange for the refuse collectors to move your bin for you contact, Refuse Collection - Domestic, P.O. Box 257, The Council House, College Road, Doncaster, DN1 1RN, Telephone (01302) 736000, E-Mail community.first@doncaster.gov.uk:

Q. I can no longer look after my pets due to my increasing ill health - can you suggest any organisations which could look after them for me?

A. In addition to organisations such as the RSPCA, who try to re-home pets, you might like to consider contacting The Cinnamon Trust which places pets with adoptive owners when their original owners are no longer able to look after them contact, The Cinnamon Trust, 10 Market Square, Hayle, Cornwall, TR27 4HE, Telephone (01736) 757900, E-Mail admin@cinnamon.org.uk:

Q. I've heard that there have been some changes recently to who can get a Disabled Person's Railcard. Can you tell me more?

A. The eligibility criteria for the Disabled Person's Railcard changed on 6th September 2006. Now you will qualify for a Disabled Person's Railcard if any of the following apply to you.

• Are registered as having eyesight difficulties
• Are registered deaf, or use an NHS hearing aid
• Have epilepsy, and have repeated attacks even though you receive drug treatment
• Receive Attendance Allowance
• Receive Disability Living Allowance (at the higher or lower rate for getting around (mobility) for one year or longer or at the higher or middle rate for help with personal care
• Receive Severe Disablement Allowance
• Receive long - term Incapacity Benefit
• Receive War Pensioner's Mobility Supplement
• Receive War or Service Disablement Pension for 80% or more disability
• Are buying or leasing a vehicle through the Motability scheme.

From 6th September you can buy either a 1 year or a 3 year railcard. The price of the 1 year railway will be £18.00, and the price for the 3 year railcard will cost £48.00

Calling Volunteers

Have you got some spare time?

Are you interested in doing voluntary work supporting local disabled people to exercise choice and control in their lives?

Would you like to gain a qualification from the Open College Network?

If the answer is YES, and you are over 18 years old, then the ENABLE Advocacy Service would like to hear from you.

The Advocacy Training Course covers a variety of subjects:-

• Listening Skills
• Setting Boundaries
• Disability Equality Training
• Managing Conflict
• Information and Resources
• Networking
• Deaf Awareness
• Independent Living Issues
• Dealing with Complaints - Negotiation
• Confidence Building / Assertiveness Training
• Emergency First Aid

Guest speakers will attend some sessions to tell volunteers about their work and how it fits in with the work of the advocacy service.

If you would like to speak to a member of staff about volunteering for the Advocacy Service, then please contact Helen.b@sycil.org.uk ENABLE Advocacy Service Co-ordinator to make an appointment.

If you are interested in volunteering but would prefer to do something a little less involved than working with the advocacy service, then we would still like to hear from you. We have a range of volunteering opportunities available supporting SYCIL's work, both at The Disability Resource Centre, and out in the community. Please contact us for details of a volunteering opportunity that may be right for you.

Go to Volunteers Page

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