Standards and Principles of Independent Advocacy

There are circumstances in which it is vital that the advocacy that people need must be clearly independent of service providers, families and carers. This independence should prevent any conflict of interest that could arise. An independent advocate assists supports and/or encourages the advocacy partner/client in expressing her/his views and wishes. When appropriate, an advocate might speak on the partner's behalf. There are things that people should be able to expect from any independent advocacy service. These would include the following:

• That the advocacy partner is in control of things and will be given information so that s/he can make her/his own choice.
• That the advocate will help the partner to speak up for her/himself whenever possible. 
• That the advocate's primary loyalty is to the partner, whose views and rights they support and defend as vigorously as if they were their own.
• That the advocate will be clear about what s/he can and can't do and will make this clear to the partner.
• That the service/organisation will ensure that advocates are supported in their role.
• That advocacy support is free to those wishing to use it.

Advocacy Organisation Good Practice

There are certain standards that apply to any group working with people. Consequently these equally apply to advocacy services/organisations as they do to other organisations. These include:

•  Being clear to those using them what information is recorded and keeping it private.
• Providing information that is easy to understand.
• Treating all people fairly and equally and having a policy that says how they will do this.
• Ensuring that the service/organisation is safe for everyone, both involved in it and using it.
• Checking what it does for people and identifying those it is not reaching.
• Ensuring that the views of the people who have used or are using the service/organisation are heard and reflected in their management.

Organisational Good Practice in Advocacy

• Business planning: Should cover the organisational mission statement and purpose, internal governance, need and demand for the organisation/projects, financial strategy and practice, project development plans, evaluation mechanisms, and statutory organisational liabilities and obligations.
• Equal Opportunities: There should be organisation policies and procedures to ensure that no discrimination plays any part in the operation of the organisation
• Equalities and diversity strategies: A strategy aimed at ensuring the services are fully accessible to the whole community, taking into account all equalities issues
• Community development: The organisation/service should reflect the community that it serves and provide a grassroots approach to developing the project that results in services developed and delivered by their communities.
• Monitoring: A monitoring system should be in place to identify who makes up the local community to help advocacy providers assess whether their client base reflects local demographics or whether there are marginalised groups that are not being reached.
• Evaluation: Recording systems in place to identify what is working and what is not, with opportunities for whoever is using the service to feedback on the quality
• Effective use of resources: Developing a knowledge base of services available from both the statutory and community sectors, to help with signposting in the delivery of services and achieving objectives. Thus providing access to additional skills, knowledge and experience and sharing information with other organisations.

Advocacy Core Values

1. Respect: Advocacy must be carried out respecting the dignity and humanity of the advocacy partner/client.
2. Identity: Advocacy recognises that Culture is a complex and changing mix of beliefs, customs, morals, laws and past experience. It provides a background by which individuals live, and a set of explanations to use in interpreting the world.
3. Equality: Advocacy relationships are equal in value and avoid disempowering and hierarchical relationships developing
4. Self Awareness: Advocates acknowledge their own culture and values with an understanding of how identity is central to ourselves and others
5. Openness: Advocates will be open to questioning and evaluating their assumptions and preconceptions about the way they work, to continuously improve working practice
6. Person centred: Advocates encourage their partners/clients to define their own ethnicity and culture within the wider context of their immediate situation, and allows them to identify their advocacy issues in their own terms.
7. Stereotyping: Advocacy avoids "labelling" their partners/clients by focusing on a single aspect of their identity and recognises that identity is subject to change over time.
8. Social Networks: Advocacy recognises the value of taking into account social networks in order to empower an individual