Why Advocacy - A few thoughts from Peter Dawson

Independent Advocacy, in all its forms, exists as a necessity not as an add-on or luxury. If it is needed it is needed. It isn't just something nice for people to have if they want it. It should be regarded as a right and a choice.

Advocacy is about standing with someone and encouraging and supporting them to know what they want in their lives and what they want to say, and to have that want (or need) voiced. Sometimes the Powers that exist in people's lives are such that a person feels intimidated or powerless to speak up for themselves. It may a person feeling a lack of self worth or uncertainty and insecurity that causes this. But it is just as likely that other people impose that feeling on a person. It seems that society and services (whether voluntary or statutory) do not expect people that they consider to be dependent on them, to have a voice and opinion of their own.

And yet it could be argued that the greatest authority in someone's life is the authority of their own direct experience. In other words only you know what it's like to be you and to have the life experiences you have.

Supporting people to develop this authority and to have it recognised is the main purpose of advocacy. We use words like authority and 'voice' but it is essentially about being respected, valued and included in decisions.

Unfortunately it is often the case that if you are elderly, disabled, have or are recovering from mental distress or have a learning difficulty there will be plenty of people in your life who consider themselves to be 'the expert' on you.

Good advocacy should be available in a one to one relationship, independently and without vested interest in order to support people to gain respect and authority in their own lives and to develop and exercise a role, to the extent they wish, that expresses value and equality with others.

The process of advocacy - getting to know someone, being on their side, listening, encouraging and sticking up for them - is one which ought to result in the person who is being supported to experience some power and control.

Through advocacy involvement a person (advocacy partner) gains some degree of empowerment. It may not be that what they feel they want or need is always achievable. After all, advocacy is not a magic wand. But the minimum that should be expected from advocacy is that the advocacy partner's significance and status is increased and the respectful attention that is paid them as a result contributes significantly to them having more choice and a better life.