Advocacy for older people in Wales

Louise Hughes

Project Manager

Elder Abuse Project

Introduction

• Elder Abuse Project• ‘Advocacy Counts Reports’• Why advocacy – rhetoric and reality• Developing advocacy services & best

practice• Examples of services across Wales

Elder Abuse Project

• Advocacy

• Access to Justice

• Financial Abuse

• Human Rights

• Legislation

‘Advocacy Counts’ Reports

– Funding– Training– Standards and definitions– Increasing older population and the

implications for advocacy– Specialist advocacy– Generic services– POVA referrals

Advocacy Counts (2007)

• Report on advocacy provision in Wales (2007) – launched Oct 07 at the Sennedd

• Only 23 organisations actually stated they provided advocacy services

• 7 services would have funding reduced or it would be coming to an end

• Only 6 organisations clearly quoted a definition that they work to

• Identified the need for more training especially around specific types of abuse and human rights

• Repeat in 2008

‘Advocacy Counts 2’ - 2008

• Repeat survey – launched in Nov ’09• 19 respondents specifically stated they

provide advocacy to older people• Equates to 1 paid advocate to every 35,000

older people• Failure to deliver any significant increase

in services• Funding issues remain a significant issue• Training – in adult protection, human

rights and basic advocacy skills. • Standards and definitions

Why Advocacy? – the rhetoric and the reality

• National Service Framework for Older People• National Minimum Standards for Older People in

Care Homes • House of Commons Joint Committee on Human

Rights• Mental Capacity Act – Independent Mental

Capacity Advocates• Mental Health Act – Independent Mental Health

Advocates

Older People in Wales – Facts and figures

• People over 60 in 2001 was 657,700 – One paid advocate per 25,000 older people (approx)

• Estimated figures for 2011 are 772,000• 22.7% of the population in Wales is over 60 • Care Homes – approx 21,000 people aged 65+ are in a care

home• Community services – provided to almost 78,000 aged 65+• Dementia – approx 42,000 people in Wales affected by

dementia, prevalence rates increase with age and are thought to be as follows:– 1 in 50 aged 65-70– 1 in 20 aged 70-80– 1 in 5 aged 80 or over

Developing Advocacy Services & Best Practice

• Local mapping• Local networks• Links with national networks • Action for Advocacy

– Charter, Standards, Code of Practice, Quality Mark

• Older People’s Advocacy Alliance (OPAAL)• Advocacy Consortium UK (ACUK)• Communication• Sharing examples of service specifications• Advocacy pathways / flowcharts• Shared service protocolls

Things to consider when developing a service specification

• Independence• Free from conflict of interest• Realistic outcomes• Monitoring – including qualitative

outcomes• Funding • Training and development• Standards and code of practice• Longer term issues – development of

service, issues for rural communities

Volunteers

• Use of volunteers

• Recruitment, training, supervision

• Resources

• Investing in volunteers

What is advocacy?

• It is not…– Befriending– Counselling– Mediation– Legal – Advice– Impartial– Dependency

• It is about…– Support– Representation– Empowerment– Choices– Rights– Having a voice– Making decisions

Types of advocacy

• It is important to be clear what type of advocacy is being funded– Issue based crisis advocacy– Citizen advocacy– Peer advocacy– Group advocacy– Complaints advocacy– Instructed or non-instructed advocacy– Dementia advocacy

Examples of services across Wales

• Age Concern are the primary provider of older people’s advocacy services– Generic Advocacy– Dementia Advocacy – Hospital and Residential Care– Specialist abuse advocacy– Financial advocacy

• Independent Domestic Abuse Advocates (IDVA)• Independent Mental Capacity Advocates (IMCA)• Independent Mental Health Advocates (IMHA)• Complaints advocates• Mental Health Advocates

Contact Details

LOUISE HUGHES Project Manager

Age Concern CymruSuite 2, Daniel Owen Precinct,Mold, Flintshire, CH7 1XP

0845 310 3332

louise.hughes@accymru.org.uk

FFION JONESProject Assistant

Age Concern CymruSuite 2, Daniel Owen Precinct,Mold, Flintshire, CH7 1XP

0845 310 3332

ffion.jones@accymru.org.uk