"Reasons to be cheerful? Advocacy and the new government" - presentation from Martin Coyle s http://www.croaconference.com

1. Reasons to be Cheerful? Advocacy and the new government Martin Coyle Deputy Chief Executive

2. about a4a Mission: “To ensure a strong and equal voice for all citizens” Cover England and Wales Provide information, training and developmental support Engage with external stakeholders as an honest broker Run the Advocacy Quality Performance Mark Advocate for advocacy to government

3. Themes from adult advocacy Spending cuts Statutory duties vs good practice Increased emphasis on outcomes Professionalism and registration Need for more sophisticated monitoring What advocacy will be valued? What will the sector look like in 3 years? Liberating the NHS

4. The voice of twitter “So I'm shouting down tory cuts, cheering for the miners, students are politicised and I’m eating wotsits. It's the 80s again, innit.” It’s not the 80s

5. Recent history Massive expansion of the advocacy sector Has influenced policy in a large way Greater acceptance of people’s right to choose Stronger equalities focus Quality is stronger Enshrined in legislation

6. Early signs - Young People’s Services We want all young people to be self-confident, motivated and equipped with the skills they need to succeed in life. We want society to value young people for their achievements and the contribution they make to their communities. To achieve this, we need a level playing field of opportunity. So, in time, every 16-year-old will benefit from participating in the National Citizens Service. We also aim to improve support for vulnerable groups, with better intervention to prevent issues such as substance misuse, teenage pregnancy and youth crime. We will help local partners look for better ways to empower young people, creating more opportunities for them to engage in local decision making and democracy in their communities. This section contains information about how we plan to achieve these goals. www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/youngpeoplesservices

7. But it’s early days

8. Straws in the wind The DEFICIT Big Society Localism Personalisation Health white paper Fairness

9. The deficit Pressure on spending Public sector cuts will be large Move towards outsourcing provision Blurring of lines between sectors Value for money comes into focus Proof of impact is needed – anecdotes are not enough

10. "People loved what we did. Too few of them liked the idea of paying for it“ Julian Dobson on the close of New Start

11. The Big Society The plan is that there is no plan It will be messy Could be a cover up for large cuts Could be a hopeful rebalancing of state and society Could address fundamental mistrust Definitely means we have to think about public engagement and role of volunteers

12. Localism Which government? Who is setting the agendas? Contraction or expansion – Mental Health Measure Local implementation of statutory obligations Know who you need to influence Local democratic influence on spending

13. Personalisation Not just about personal budgets Is meant to ensure all services revolve round the person The language of personalisation is the language of advocacy “From safetynet to springboard”

14. Health white paper “Equity and Excellence” “Nothing about me without me” Recognition of failure to engage with some groups “Excellent services are useless if people are not willing or able to access them” GP commissioning consortia Healthwatch and ICAS Engaged patients save money

15. Are the words changing? Coalition commitment to fairness Future of EHRC is being considered Focus on responsibility as well as rights Regulation is downplayed Dignity is promoted Emotional intelligence or self reliance? Empowerment seems to have survived

16. Key messages Many government agendas will need advocacy We must be better at engaging with the public Pressure to demonstrate our outcomes Fairness and equity can be served by advocacy Demand for services likely to increase

17. Martin Coyle Info“@actionforadvocacy.org.uk martin@actionforadvocacy.org.uk www.actionforadvocacy.org.uk