Empowering People with a Learning Disability

How do the people that you work with and support, make their wishes, desires and choices known? How do they get their voice heard in every day life and in the 'big' decisions that affect them?

This workshop introduces the various forms of advocacy, enables people to experience advocacy in action and considers relevant legislation and policy.

On completion of this course, delegates will:

Be able to:

• Describe the different forms of advocacy
• Identify the need for the involvement of advocacy services
• Define their role as a professional within services

Have an understanding of the main relevant legislation:

• Mental Capacity Act
• Human Right Act
• Disability Discrimination Act

Gain experience of:

• Advocating for another person
• Being advocated for
• Being a professional working with an advocacy partnership

• Discussion on 'What is advocacy?'
• Presentation and discussion on the types of advocacy
  • Citizen, Peer, Self and Case Advocacy
  • Instructed and Non instructed advocacy
• Standards in Advocacy
• Professional and Family roles in Advocacy
• Discussion on when some one might require an advocate
• Legislation
  • Mental Capacity Act and the role of the IMCA
  • Human Rights Act
  • Disability Discrimination Act
• Advocacy In Action - experiencing advocacy
• Creating a personal action plan

The overall approach will be one which is participatory and builds on participants own experience. In addition, participants will be provided with presentations, the opportunity for group discussions and real life scenarios for skills practice.

Participants will gain an insight into the breadth of the subject and have the opportunity for skills practice in a safe non threatening environment

This is the course for you if you work with people with a learning disability and care about their voice being heard in their life.

An open mind, a willingness to take part and a commitment to empowering people with a learning disability