United Voices has been set up for the benefit of the members i.e. people with learning disabilities. The vision is an organisation run by the members for the members. This can be difficult to put in practice all the time but must never be forgotten. The majority of our work is done with the full involvement of members in the local groups to promote peer and self-advocacy. In addition, volunteers and employees will do some citizen advocacy in answer to a request or referral. In general our volunteers and employees treat the members as friends and colleagues. Volunteers, employees and trustees do not provide any physical care except what is normally appropriate between colleagues or in an emergency. However, our members are vulnerable adults and therefore it is necessary to be particularly careful and sensitive in daily interaction with them.
Volunteers and employees may be engaged in group or project work with members or in one-to-one advocacy with an individual client with learning disabilities. In one-to-one or citizen advocacy we have used the term Advocacy Partner to describe the person needing support.
As a representative of United Voices there are certain simple guidelines we require.
q Listen carefully and attentively to what members/advocacy partners are saying
q Act solely on their behalf, at their pace and under their instruction.
q Treat members/advocacy partners with respect and dignity and act in a non judgemental manner
q Explain the confidentiality policy to all prospective advocacy partners
q Gain regular feedback from members/advocacy partners about the advocacy service that United Voices provide
q Inform the development leader or trustee if there is an issue of concern regarding the advocacy service or any member/advocacy partner
q Behave in a non-adversarial way to members/advocacy partners, carers and professionals
q Appear neat and tidy at all times
q Do not smoke whilst visibly on duty.
Volunteers and employees will work with groups of members. The groups may be the regular local group for the area or project or ad hoc groups set up for a particular purpose. Through group work members will be supported and encouraged to
q Understand their rights and how advocacy can help to achieve them
q Become more self-confident and better communicators
q Develop their skills
q Publicise advocacy and help their peers with issues
q Enjoy being part of UV
Some of the activities used to enable development are
q Running the group as a club with shared responsibilities, local publicity, fundraising etc.
q Discussing topical issues and inviting guest speakers to explain specific things
q Taking part in projects, seminars and conferences with other local and national groups
Advocacy is independent practical and/or emotional support. It can help people to ask for what they want, speak out about things that are important to them, express their opinions and be heard. It also means speaking on someone’s behalf if they are unable to speak for themselves.
Advocacy is empowering, encouraging and enabling and it can increase people’s confidence. Advocates step back from personal or professional opinion and simply listen and support. They represent only the user’s view.
Advocacy recognises all people as equally important and all people’s views as equally valid. It values each person as uniquely knowledgeable about himself or herself and thus entitled to express their views – and have those views taken into account.
Advocacy is a partnership between the vulnerable person i.e. the partner and the advocate.
q Represents the views and feelings of the Partner
q Can raise any matter the Partner believes to be important with the appropriate organisation, service or individual
q Can have information about the care and treatment of the partner if he or she has given permission for this
q Will not duplicate the roles of carers and other staff and will not be responsible for providing any therapy, care or medical treatment
q Is entirely independent and provides a service centred on the Partner. The Partner decides what they want to talk about or what they need to happen and makes decisions and choices in the knowledge that the advocate will support and represent their views
q Can discuss options and potential outcomes to help the Partner to make an informed choice
q Is not part of the care delivery system and is not there to ‘negotiate’ between the Partner and the carer
q Will provide a private and confidential service
q Can complain about the Partner’s care or treatment if necessary
q Can discuss the welfare of the Partner with carers if appropriate
q The Partner can decide to discontinue the relationship.
q An advocate will always respect service providers and other agencies and will deal with them in a professional and considerate manner
q United Voices has a Complaints Procedures which is available to carers and agencies
q Information can be shared with a third party only if the partner and the advocate agree that it would be appropriate.
q Advocates are encouraged to consider and discuss with their supervisor any concerns about personal boundaries
q United Voices will not support an advocate having intimate relations with a member or advocacy partner due to the potential vulnerability of some people and the conflict of interest that may develop; if the advocate feels, at any time, that the relationship is developing in this way he/she should discuss it with his/her supervisor as soon as possible
q United Voices will not support the giving, lending or receiving of monies between advocate and member/advocacy partner
q Advocate’s personal details (address and home telephone number etc) should be given to members/advocacy partners only in appropriate circumstances and after discussion with the supervisor
q Advocates should consider the risk of intrusive personal contact
q Advocates using their own cars to transport users must ensure that they are insured for this purpose.
This policy applies to all paid employees, Trust Board members and volunteers associated with, or providing a service for, United Voices.
United Voices offer a confidential service and its employees/volunteers will not divulge information concerning advocacy partners to other parties unless the employee/volunteer believes that the client is at risk of harm themselves, or is likely to cause harm to others or to property.
If an employee/volunteer is unsure as to whether a risk of harm is likely, they must discuss the situation with their supervisor.
If at all possible, the Partner’s agreement to disclose the relevant information should be secured. If it is not possible, for reasons of physical or emotional difficulty or if the Partner simply does not agree, the employee/volunteer must make clear to the Partner that they intend to disclose the information because they believe it to be in the best interests of the partner. In these circumstances, volunteers are required to contact their supervisor for advice and assistance in managing this process.
If a decision is made to disclose information to a third party, this must be clearly recorded on the Partner’s contact sheet. The record must include details of the disclosure, who it was made to and a note of who the decision was discussed with (i.e. supervisor), and whether the Partner agreed or not.
Information about Partners should not be discussed outside UV other than with the Partner’s explicit consent/instruction. Again, a note should always be made of this on the Partner’s contact sheet.
Any discussion of a confidential nature should take place in a secure environment.
Any breach of confidentiality, other than as at (2) above, will be deemed to be gross misconduct. Any employee found to have disclosed information about a Partner without their explicit consent will be subject to disciplinary action. Any volunteer found to have similarly disclosed information following appropriate investigation will have their relationship with United Voices terminated immediately.
This policy may be reviewed annually by the Trust Board of United Voices and may be revised from time to time.