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Contents & notes
Part A: Independent Advocacy organisations
Part B: Independent Group Advocacy
Part C: Supporting guidance
Acknowledgements
Principles and Standards in Independent Advocacy organisations and groups
NB:This page is an archived version of the Advocacy 2000 web page formerly at www.advocacy2000.org and website.lineone.net/~advocacy2000 . All of the document is available in the original format as a pdf file
Part B: Independent Group Advocacy
Section contents
What is an Independent Collective or Self-advocacy group?
What do these groups aim to do?
Section 1: More detail on principles
Representing the views of a wider group
Acting as representatives of a wider group
Maximising the involvement of the group
Suggesting options for action in certain circumstances
Introduction
This part of the document describes the actions of Independent Collective and Self-advocacy groups, and some appropriate principles for their support. Independent Group Advocacy is an important part of Independent Advocacy. We hope that Collective and Self-advocacy groups, together with a future national support organisation, will further develop part B of this document.
The text is divided into sections on principles and the support of groups. Each principle is highlighted by a box -with text to explain it afterwards. Section 3 gives examples which should make the rest of the text easier to understand.
The rest of this introduction acts as a summary and index for the principles explained in sections 1 and 2.
What is an Independent Collective or Self-advocacy group?
There are many groups of people involved in collective advocacy of some type. However, for the purposes of this document an Independent Collective or Self-advocacy group:
- is an identified group of individuals;
- is made up only of users, likely users, or past users of care or support services which are provided by, or on behalf of, local authorities or health boards;
- advocates, as a significant part of its activity, points of view which the group has collectively identified to be put forward;
- itself decides, and is free to decide, without any significant influence from anyone who is not part of the group, how to act; and
- has only practical or legal restrictions on its action that could not be removed.
It may:
- act alone or with others;
- operate with or without support;
- be made up of people acting voluntarily or with payment; and
- carry out its action through the actions of those in the group or through actions of others who act as it decides.
"An identified group of individuals" means a group of people who could be individually named. This group may or may not have a formal structure, name and so on.
What do these groups aim to do?
These groups may aim to:
- safeguard those in the group;
- add weight to the ideas, opinions, hopes and ambitions of those in the group;
- add weight to the ideas, opinions, hopes and ambitions of a wider group;
- add weight to the ideas, opinions, hopes and ambitions of individual people of its choice;
- empower those in the group;
- empower, or provide leadership for, those in a wider group;
- have a positive influence on the quality and character of basic care and support services;
- influence public attitude towards certain groups of people; and
- have an influence on other issues.
"Safeguard" means to encourage good practice and discourage bad practice by those in a position to disempower, neglect or abuse those in the group. It also means to make sure that those in the group are treated fairly.
"Wider group" means an identified group of people who the Collective or Self-advocacy group claims to represent to some extent.
"Empower" is explained in part A and part C.
Principles
Some of the ideas and principles that may be important to these groups are set out below.
- If the group claims to represent the views of a wider group, it should have an effective method of determining these views.
- If a group claims to act as the representatives of a wider group, this wider group must be able to determine how the group acts.
- The group will be more effective in its influence on others if it is seen by them to be acting as one.
- The group may need to avoid affecting its freedom to act through formal or financial relationships with others.
- If the group aims to safeguard people, it should pay attention to things that would prevent individuals from asking for or receiving the support of the group, or that would influence its image.
- The group may find it useful to keep in contact with other groups of people who have some of the same aims or interests.
- If the group wants to empower all those involved in it, it must make sure that these people each have equal opportunity, whether with or without other help, to take part.
These principles are described in more detail in section 1.
Support
An Independent Collective or Self-advocacy group may operate with or without support. If it operates with the support of a person or agency that could potentially have a significant influence on the group's action, this support should:
- be loyal;
- make sure the group is as fully involved and in control as they can be; and
- suggest options for action in specific circumstances only.
These points are described in more detail in section 2.
Section 1
More details on principles
Representing the views of a wider group |
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If the group claims to represent the views of a wider group, it should have an effective method of determining these views. |
A group cannot reasonably claim to be able to express the views, interests, hopes, ambitions, ideas or beliefs of others unless they do their best to check that their understanding of these is accurate. A group could do this through meetings, consultations, asking for feedback, or by being representatives of this wider group. Representation may be more effective if it is clear to others that a group correctly understands these views.
Acting as representatives of a wider group |
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If a group claims to act as the representatives of a wider group, this wider group must be able to determine how the group acts. |
A group cannot reasonably claim to represent a wider group that has no control over its action (it might still be able to represent their views as we have described in the principle before this one). This control might be through the group being a body that is fairly elected from and by the wider group. It might also be through the group only taking action which has been agreed by, and which is in the direct control of, the wider group. Representation may be more effective if it is clear to others that the group is reasonably acting as representatives.
Acting as one |
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The group will be more effective in its influence on others if it is seen by them to be acting as one. |
A group can act with one voice or in a way that had been agreed by the group rather than as a number of separate individuals, each operating ndependently. If it appears to others that it is acting as one, its influence may be stronger.
Acting as one is not the same thing as presenting one position, view or idea. A group can act as one while presenting a range of conflicting views or representing a range of interests.
Keeping its freedom to act |
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The group may need to avoid undermining its freedom to act through formal or financial relationships with others |
A group might undermine its freedom to act by relying on money from people who expect to have a say in how the group acts.
The appearance that a group had been affected by interests other than the views or interests of the people it wants to act as representatives for may damage the effectiveness of its representation.
There are many things that might influence the safeguarding effect of a group for individuals. One is that individuals who are in need may not be known to the group. They may not approach the group, or may not ask for or agree to its help if they fear the consequences.
To encourage people to ask for support, the group must be clear that:
- it will not act in any way which the person does not want (in relation to them asking for help); and
- it will maintain appropriate confidentiality.
Its effectiveness in safeguarding individual people may be increased if:
- the action it takes on behalf of an individual is agreed beforehand, or is based on basic human rights and needs;
- it is seen to act in this way;
- it is prepared to act with tenacity (persistence), and to the extent which is necessary to achieve the necessary effect; and
- it is generally understood by others that it is prepared and able to do this.
Networking |
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The group may find it useful to keep in contact with other groups of people who have some of the same aims or interests. |
A group might benefit from being in contact with other groups who share their interests or views, or who want to influence similar agencies. A group might also benefit from speaking to other groups who share some of their methods of working, regardless of their interests.
Those in a group may not automatically work together in a way that makes sure that each person has an equal influence, or that the group operates effectively. The situation might be improved by:
- organising a group formally by using constitutions, agreements, an agreed structure, or an agreed way of operating;
- suitable training being available for each person; or
- individuals who have more difficulty taking part having support to do this.
Independent support for individuals would need to be:
- in the control of the individual;
- free of limits that would restrict how far the individual could take part; and
- provided in a way that did not directly influence the individual's views, ideas, hopes or ambitions.
Section 2
Support
This principle is important if people are easily influenced as it makes sure that the group follows its own agenda.
The phrase 'practical restrictions' is intended to refer to restrictions that cannot be removed, such as those we have mentioned, and not to restrictions that other people or organisations might want to place on them.
The phrase 'serious harm' is intended to refer to rare and extreme situations, not those in which a group's action might be against the general best interests of other people.
To achieve this loyalty, it is necessary that the supporting person is substantially independent from any interests that might conflict with those of the group.
This principle is important because it is more empowering for a group to express themselves directly than it is to rely on someone else to speak for them. It is also likely that statements made by a group will carry more weight than when these are expressed by somebody else on their behalf.
Suggesting options for action in certain circumstances |
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As well as following any agenda that has been identified by the person or group they support, those providing support also suggest action to the group based on basic human rights, needs, decency, and service standards. They recognise that such needs and rights may be more fundamental in determining quality of life than any agenda that has been identified by the group. The lack of recognition by a group of rights and needs is not a good enough reason for these to be ignored. The person providing support only suggests action if the group are themselves unlikely to do so in the future. |
This principle is important because some independent collective or self-advocacy groups may not recognise when basic human needs, rights, decency and service standards are not being met, or may not consider taking action on this.
The involvement of a supporting person may itself result in the group becoming empowered enough to initiate action as this involvement develops, and this must be allowed to take place.
The supporting person must also follow the principle of 'maximising the involvement of the group' so that they ask for instruction on the action they suggest and do not act against instruction.
Section 3
Examples
This section gives examples to provide an easier way to think about why each of the principles and aims is listed in the document and what it means. They are only for this purpose -in reality the situations they describe would be much more complicated and 'right' and 'wrong' would not be so clearly defined.
Examples about principles
An Independent Collective Advocacy group claims that it speaks for all the people who use learning disability services provided by the local authority. They say: "Because we have used these services we know what people think about them." The group uses no other method to check whether it is right.
Principles that are not being followed
Representing the views of a wider group
Acting as representatives of a wider group
An Independent Collective Advocacy group claims that it speaks for all the people who use a day centre. It is fairly elected by and from this group. On each issue it consults widely among this group before speaking. It presents its own view on each issue, but also any views which it knows about but does not share.
Principles being followed
Representing the views of a wider group
Acting as representatives of a wider group
An Independent Collective Advocacy group receives money from, and only from, the local authority. It would no longer operate if this money was withdrawn.
Principles that are not being followed
Keeping its freedom to act
An Independent Collective Advocacy group receives money as above, but would continue to act if this money was withdrawn, and has an agreement with the local authority which sets out that its action will not be affected. The group employs a worker, but is clear that they will expect the worker to act, even if this may lead to the funding which is linked to their employment being withdrawn.
Principles being followed
Keeping its freedom to act
An Independent Collective Advocacy group, made up of people using a secure hospital, has little contact with anyone outside of the hospital users and staff.
Principles that are not being followed
Networking
An Independent Collective Advocacy group is made up of people using a secure hospital. It has occasional meetings with a group which is made up of users of a local learning disability service and also with a local environmental campaign group. They find this contact helps them think about which issues are related specifically to the hospital and which to society's attitudes in general, and about how best to get its message across.
Principles being followed
Networking
An Independent Collective Advocacy group is approached by an individual who complains that they are being badly treated by staff in a hospital. The group immediately writes a letter of complaint to the hospital director despite the protests of the individual.
Principles that are not being followed
Safeguarding people
This group agrees with the individual that they should find out about the legal rights that the individual has, and about the outcome of similar complaints in the past, but that they shouldn't take other action. Later, they agree with the individual that they should write a letter of complaint to the hospital director.
Principles being followed
Safeguarding people
An Independent Collective Advocacy group finds that its membership is passionately split over a particular issue. Some of those from the group argue with others from the group during a meeting with a day centre manager.
Principles that are not being followed
Acting as one
The group relates both views to the manager and explains that it is not in agreement over this issue.
Principles being followed
Acting as one
An Independent Collective Advocacy group has a chairperson who frequently puts her own views forward as those of the group.
Principles that are not being followed
Empowering those in the group
The group chairperson arranges for two independent people to provide support to the two group members who need this.
Principles being followed
Empowering those in the group
Examples about group support
A person supporting an Independent Collective Advocacy group tells the group that he thinks they are overreacting when they discuss how they feel about their treatment in the hospital that they all use. He tells the hospital staff that he thinks the group is wrong.
Principles that are not being followed
Loyalty
A person, despite themselves feeling that people are overreacting when they describe their treatment in hospital, supports a group to campaign about this. She does this persistently despite the protests of the staff of the hospital. She makes no comment about her own feelings.
Principles being followed
Loyalty
A person supporting an Independent Collective Advocacy group decides that the group needs more funding. She argues this with the group's funder, but without asking the group first.
Principles that are not being followed
Maximising the involvement of the group
A person supporting an Independent Collective Advocacy group supports group members to speak for themselves, even though she feels she could have explained their position more easily herself.
Principles being followed
Maximising the involvement of the group
A person supporting an Independent Collective Advocacy group feels that the group is not aware that most people live in much better environments than they do. However, the group never mentions this, nor does he, and they choose to work on an issue surrounding the minibus service for the day centre that they go to.
Principles that are not being followed
Suggesting options for action in certain circumstances
A person supporting an Independent Collective Advocacy group feels that the group is not aware that most people live in much better environments than they do. She suggests to the group that this is the case, and that she knows of a local housing association that would be willing to show them around some of its property. The group agree that this would be a good idea.
Principles being followed
Suggesting options for action in certain circumstances