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Advocacy for older people in Wales

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.

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Advocacy for older people in Wales

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  1. Advocacy for older people in Wales Louise Hughes Project Manager Elder Abuse Project

  2. Introduction • Elder Abuse Project • ‘Advocacy Counts Reports’ • Why advocacy – rhetoric and reality • Developing advocacy services & best practice • Examples of services across Wales

  3. Elder Abuse Project • Advocacy • Access to Justice • Financial Abuse • Human Rights • Legislation

  4. ‘Advocacy Counts’ Reports • Funding • Training • Standards and definitions • Increasing older population and the implications for advocacy • Specialist advocacy • Generic services • POVA referrals

  5. 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

  6. ‘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

  7. 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

  8. 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

  9. 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

  10. 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

  11. Volunteers • Use of volunteers • Recruitment, training, supervision • Resources • Investing in volunteers

  12. It is not… Befriending Counselling Mediation Legal Advice Impartial Dependency It is about… Support Representation Empowerment Choices Rights Having a voice Making decisions What is advocacy?

  13. 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

  14. 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

  15. LOUISE HUGHES Project Manager Age Concern Cymru Suite 2, Daniel Owen Precinct, Mold, Flintshire, CH7 1XP 0845 310 3332 louise.hughes@accymru.org.uk FFION JONES Project Assistant Age Concern Cymru Suite 2, Daniel Owen Precinct, Mold, Flintshire, CH7 1XP 0845 310 3332 ffion.jones@accymru.org.uk Contact Details

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