Report from the Event
The very successful advocacy conference was held on 15th/16th November 2010 at the Hilton Hotel in Coventry.
The following are just some of the very positive feedback comments that were received:
Extremely well organised conference. Very good speakers and workshops. Well done!
Allan Norman talk was brilliant. Illuminating and empowering – I am frustrated that it wasn’t filmed so that all could see and hear it.
Excellent means towards the development of a strategy forwarding the cost-effectiveness of advocacy – Bravo!
Good venue, good facilities, good talks, interesting workshops
Helpful resources. Would have liked opportunity to ask speakers questions straight after presentation.
A very inspiring conference with absolutely spot on and relevant key note speakers and workshops. I feel rejuvenated, re-inspired and ready to go back and re-focus myself.
Very good learning/sharing experience with excellent speakers. Very much enjoyed it and can take back tons of stuff to my community.
Thank you – very educational and inspiring – feel well fed and watered but very, very cold! Interesting, stimulating, informative and well organised. Thank you.
Great conference.
All speakers thought provoking but loved the ‘fuzzy felt’ Great idea to demonstrate/tell a story.
It would be good to do more conferences like this.
Excellent, well done on a great conference
Very enjoyable conference, content and venue both excellent
I’m inspired and now looking forward to another next year!
Day One
The conference began with an early evening seminar which was ably led by Keith Smith from British Institute of Learning Disabilities. Keith began by given an overview of the current political position. His presentation “Changing policies, visions and funding” can be viewed here
There was then an activity where groups were asked to write down their views and opinions to the following questions on the sheet of flip chart on their table. After 5 minutes the sheets were passed on to the next table and additional views and comments were added:
1. Why should advocacy be seen as an essential service?
2. What would happen if there was less advocacy available?
3. How can advocacy deliver “value for money”?
4. How can advocacy contribute to the vision of the “Big Society”?
5. Which type of advocacy is the most effective?
6. What is working well in the advocacy sector? And for whom?
7. What is not working well in the advocacy sector? and for whom?
8. What are the messages that will convince the funders of advocacy to continue their funding in the future?
9. What support do advocacy organisations need at this time?
10. What should be the future priorities for the advocacy sector?
This exercise finished with each group deciding together, which was the most important view/issue raised from all the comments that had been made on the sheet that was on their table.
Click here to see the feedback from the questions. The responses in Blue were seen as the most important view or issue that had been identified by the final group using the sheets.
The seminar was followed by a relaxing conference dinner where delegates had the opportunity to relax and share anecdotes and information.
Day Two
The following day focused on presentations from key note speakers and workshops.
Presentations can be seen by following the links.
Presentation: ‘Human Rights: a tool for us all, not just for lawyers’ and Workshop: ‘Do we have a right to social care?’ by Allan Norman, Principal Social Worker & Solicitor, Celtic Knot.
All of the materials for this presentation and workshop, including not only the presentations, but also supporting audio-visual materials, and reports, caselaw and legislation referred to, can be accessed via the following link to the Celtic Knot website: http://www.celticknot.org.uk/moodle/
You do not need to register with the website – you can log in as a guest – but you will be asked for an ‘enrolment key’ – which is ‘humanrights’.
Presentation: The Mental Capacity Act is not just for IMCA’s
by David.Thompson@scie.org.uk
Presentation by Michelle Bhalroo: Building Inclusive Communities
Workshops:
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Personalisation: The shift from service to community thinking. Andy Bradley - Frameworks for Change
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How more formalised advocacy services can complement and enhance the work of informal advocates and vice versa. Joe Monaghan - Chief Officer of the National Coalition of Advocacy Schemes
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Implications that the introduction of IMHA has had for front line advocates Martin Coyle - Deputy Chief Executive of Action for Advocacy
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Benefits of Local Advocacy Networks. Alison Flack - HARG (Hampshire Advocacy Resource Group)
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Social return on Investment - Evaluating the impact of Advocacy. Janet Badger - Advocacy Resource Exchange
Workshop Notes
"Do we have a right to Social Care?"
The Importance of Informal Advocacy