1.2 Advocacy Support Policy and Procedure
PURPOSE AND SCOPE latest version link below
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1.2 Advocacy Support Policy and Procedure
PURPOSE AND SCOPE
Melbourne Community Health recognises the importance of ensuring the participant’s right to use an advocate or representative of their choice is maintained. All participants and potential participants have the right to choose and involve an advocate, or another representative of their choice, to participate or act on their behalf at any time.
This policy applies to all staff, volunteers, and stakeholders.
POLICY
It is the policy of Melbourne Community Health that Participants have the right to use an advocate of their choice to represent their interest and speak on their behalf regarding any aspect of the supports or services that they receive.
It is Melbourne Community Health ’ policy that staff will work cooperatively with any nominated advocate chosen by the Participant and will show the same respect to the advocate as is shown to the Participant. Where Participants cannot advocate for themselves, it is Melbourne Community Health’ policy to ensure that the Participant’s interests are represented and supported using a substitute decision-maker.
DEFINITION
Advocacy: is active support for a cause or position and, in this context, is an expression of support for a person who may find it difficult to speak for him or herself. It may include matters such as achieving social justice, improving a person’s wellbeing, prevention of abusive or discriminatory treatment, stopping unjust and unfair treatment so that a person’s fundamental needs and interests can be met.
Below is a list of the types of advocacy:
• Individual Advocacy: a one-on-one approach, aiming to prevent or address instances of discrimination or abuse.
• Systemic Advocacy: working to influence or secure long-term changes to ensure the collective rights and interests of people with disability.
• Family Advocacy: a parent or family member advocates with and on behalf of a family member with a disability.
• Citizen Advocacy: matches people with disability with volunteers.
• Legal Advocacy: upholds the rights and interests of individual people with disability by addressing the legal aspects of discrimination, abuse and neglect.
Self-Advocacy: supports people with disability to advocate for themselves, or as a group.
PROCEDURE
Advocacy Principles
• Melbourne Community Health will ensure that all staff receive training in the use of advocates.
• Melbourne Community Health will maintain printed material on advocacy and advocacy services.
• Melbourne Community Health will maintain local advocacy resource/contact lists.
• Melbourne Community Health will work cooperatively with any nominated advocate chosen by the participant and show the same respect to the advocate, as is shown to the participant.
• Melbourne Community Health will utilise a governance system to enable Melbourne Community Health to identify where a Participant is in need of advocacy.
Initial Assessment (Participant without an Advocate)
• Discuss advocacy with the Participant pointing out their rights to nominate an advocate at any time and to have an advocate present to speak on their behalf.
• Provide the Participant with advocacy information and explain their rights regarding advocacy as per the Melbourne Community Health ’ Service Agreement and Charter of Rights, and the NDIS Practice Standards and Quality Indicators 2018.
• Advise the Participant that if they wish to utilise advocacy services, then Melbourne Community Health can assist them to contact any of these services.
• Provide Melbourne Community Health ’ form; "Authority to Act as an Advocate" to the Participant, in the event they should decide to use an advocate. This is then kept in the participant’s file.
• Discuss and document any specific communication issues or protocols to be used, between the service and the advocate.
Inform the participant that they can withdraw approval for an advocate to act on their behalf at any time.
Initial Assessment (Participants with Advocates/Representatives)
• At initial contact with the Participant, record the advocate's details.
• Ensure the potential Participant is aware of their advocacy rights, including the right to have an advocate present for all assessments, meetings and communication between the Participant and Melbourne Community Health .
• Advise the Participant of the need to complete Melbourne Community Health ’ Authority to Act as an Advocate form and provide this form to the Participant. Contact the advocate to ensure they are aware that they have been nominated as an advocate and agree to do so.
• Schedule the Participant’s initial assessment at a time and date that will enable the advocate to be present.
• Ensure an identified Advocate is present at the assessment.
• If not already received, request the completion of the Authority to Act as an Advocate form. Explain that this must be completed for Melbourne Community Health to formally recognise the nominated person as the Participant's advocate.
• Explain that the Participant has the right to change their advocate at any time. Changes should be documented with written confirmation from the Participant using the Authority to Act as an Advocate form.
Working with Advocates
• Clearly identify the existence of an Advocate on the Participant's file.
• Discuss and document any specific communication issues or protocols to be used, between the service and the advocate.
• Communicate with a Participant's chosen advocate involving them with Setting
• Goals, planning service responses, and / or referrals for additional or alternative services.
Provide them with ongoing information regarding the health and well-being of the Participant as agreed.
• Ensure all On-Call staff are aware of Participant’s Advocate/s.
Ongoing
• Remind the participants of their right to have (or change) an advocate by providing them written and verbal information during reassessments, visits or meetings.
• Remind the participants of their right to have (or change) an advocate, on an annual basis during each case conference or via written communication.
• Communicate and work cooperatively with the advocate.
• Refer the Participants who are assessed as "not able to manage their service" and who have no other advocate to the Department of Justice and Attorney General, The Public Advocate as appropriate.
Note: there is a web-link to access advocacy services which require the input of a postcode.
Melbourne Community Health will guide and assist participants in this matter. https://disabilityadvocacyfinder.dss.gov.au/disability/ndap/
RELATED DOCUMENTS
• Authority to Act as an Advocate
REFERENCES
• National Disability Insurance Scheme (Provider Registration and Practice Standards) Rules 2018
• NDIS Practice Standards and Quality Indicators 2018
• Disability Services Act 1986
• Privacy Act 1988
National Advocacy information
Australian Centre for Disability Law – disabilitylaw.org.au
• Autism Aspergers Advocacy Australia (A4) - a4.org.au
• The Autistic Self Advocacy Network of Australia and New Zealand - www.asan-au.org
• Blind Citizens Australia - bca.org.au
• Brain Injury Australia - braininjuryaustralia.org.au
• Children with Disability Australia - cda.org.au
• Deaf Australia - deafau.org.au
• Deafness Forum of Australia - deafnessforum.org.au
• Disability Advocacy Network Australia (DANA) - dana.org.au
• First Peoples Disability Network (FPDN) - fpdn.org.au
• Human Rights Council of Australia – hrca.org.au
• Intellectual Disability Rights Service (IDRS) - idrs.org.au
• Mental Health Australia - mhaustralia.org
• National Council on Intellectual Disability (NCID) - ncid.org.au
• National Ethnic Disability Alliance (NEDA) - neda.org.au
• Physical Disability Australia (PDA) - pda.org.au
• People with Disability Australia pwd.org.au
• Short Statured People of Australia - sspa.org.au
• Women with Disabilities Australia (WWDA) - wwda.org.au
Victorian Advocacy Providers
• Found here: https://www.valid.org.au/list-victorian-advocacyorganisations