Session 20 The Voice of the service user SECTION 6: 1 Working - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

SECTION 6: Working Together to Meet Needs 1

Session 20

The Voice of the service user

SECTION 6: Working Together to Meet Needs 2

Listening to the voice of the service user

• Adults have a right to

have their views taken into account

• Service users with SLD/

PMLD can express themselves and have

• pinions if carers support

them

• They need to learn about

choices and making decisions in as many aspects of their lives as possible.

SECTION 6: Working Together to Meet Needs 3

Helping Adults to ‘speak’

• See What I Mean

(published by BILD)

• Talking Mats

(published by Stirling University)

SECTION 6: Working Together to Meet Needs 4

Helping adults to ‘speak’ (cont)

• Listening to Children

(published by Call Centre) has principles that are also very relevant for adults

SECTION 6: Working Together to Meet Needs 5

Learning to ‘speak’

Involves:

• having pre-intentional signals e.g.

pleasure, distress, interpreted by carers

• intentionally indicating preferences/

choices

• recognising familiar objects/

pictures

• collecting together favoured objects

/ pictures to guide activities

• putting pictures of favoured

activities next to a smiley face (Talking Mats)

• choosing activities from the list
• taking photographs/ movies of

favourite things and places

• drawing cartoon/ stick pictures
• telling personal stories

SECTION 6: Working Together to Meet Needs 6

Advocacy

• Advocacy is highlighted by Valuing People

as an essential element of supporting people with learning disabilities.

SECTION 6: Working Together to Meet Needs 7

Citizen Advocacy

• A citizen advocate is an ordinary person who

commits to a long term and 1:1 relationship in

• rder to speak up for and represent an advocacy

partner’ interests.

• An advocacy partner is someone at risk of

having choices, wishes and decisions not heeded unless they are supported to make those wishes known. BILD factsheet

SECTION 6: Working Together to Meet Needs 8

Basic principles

An advocate is:

• unpaid
• independent of services
• loyal to their advocacy

partner

• committed to trust and

confidentiality

• someone who supports

choices but does not make them

SECTION 6: Working Together to Meet Needs 9

Citizen Advocate attributes

Citizen advocates need

• A sense of fair play
• Commitment to partnership

SECTION 6: Working Together to Meet Needs 10 10

More attributes

• Empathy
• Patience
• Excellent communication skills
• Confidence to stand up for their partner
• Resilience
• Determination

SECTION 6: Working Together to Meet Needs 11 11

Links

• What sort of links does your service have

with advocacy?

• Are you are aware of the full range of

services they offer?