Challenges for the Advocacy Sector: Observations from other places

1. Challenges for the Advocacy Sector: Observations from other places Paul Ramcharan, Lecturer, Division of Disability Studies, RMIT University

2. Who might make these decisions and impose them? A boy with Aspergers Syndrome has been prevented from looking over into a neighbour’s garden A fifteen year-old with Tourette’s Syndrome has been banned from swearing in public A ban on playing on a trampoline has been threatened for a teenage boy on the autistic spectrum because the noise he makes while playing is upsetting the neighbours From: Ramcharan, P., McClimens, A. and Roberts, B. (2006) Out of Order, Community Care, 22-28th June, pp34-35. I will return to these at the end of this session. Have a little think and we shall revisit them later.I will return to these at the end of this session. Have a little think and we shall revisit them later.

3. Adults with intellectual disabilities in the UK in 2003/4 – Some outcome indicators 92% single 17% had a paid job 18% in an ordinary class in an ordinary school 31% had no contact with friends 43% had been bullied at school 32% did not feel safe in their own homes 7% had children but in 50% of cases the children were looked after by someone else From: BRMB Social research, Eric Emerson and Central England People First (2005) Adults with learning disabilities in England 2003/4, available from www.ic.nhs,uk No data on complaints to services No central data on types of advocacy inputs or outcomes No data on effect of Human Rights Act By any standards the statistics show that a flourishing life is not the natural outcome of deinstitutionalisation. Achieving ‘the good life’ is far from a reality. The part advocacy plays in supporting these outcomes has not been systematically examined nor evaluated. The fact there is no data is mystifying to say the least. The effect on political agendas is usually strongest when data have been systematically collected and evidenced.By any standards the statistics show that a flourishing life is not the natural outcome of deinstitutionalisation. Achieving ‘the good life’ is far from a reality. The part advocacy plays in supporting these outcomes has not been systematically examined nor evaluated. The fact there is no data is mystifying to say the least. The effect on political agendas is usually strongest when data have been systematically collected and evidenced.

4. What I will do in this paper Make some observations about the ways in which advocacy has developed in the UK and about the parallel work of disabled activists Give some examples of how the advocacy movement is operating in the UK now. Examine some of the issues that have arisen in modern formulations of advocacy. Draw some conclusions that may contribute to the agenda of this conference and to the wealth of advocacy experience and knowledge already represented here.