EVERY YEAR IN OCTOBER, OVER 250 OF US COME TOGETHER TO CELEBRATE ALL THINGS ADVOCACY. WE PUSH OURSELVES TO LEARN MORE, DO MORE AND BE MORE
October 25th 2018
Birmingham NEC
October 25th (evening) Advocacy Awards
October 26th - Special Interest Group
EVERY YEAR IN OCTOBER, OVER 250 OF US COME TOGETHER TO CELEBRATE ALL THINGS ADVOCACY. WE PUSH OURSELVES TO LEARN MORE, DO MORE AND BE MORE
October 25th 2018
Birmingham NEC
October 25th (evening) Advocacy Awards
October 26th - Special Interest Group
EVERY YEAR IN OCTOBER, OVER 250 OF US COME TOGETHER TO CELEBRATE ALL THINGS ADVOCACY. WE PUSH OURSELVES TO LEARN MORE, DO MORE AND BE MORE
October 25th 2018
Birmingham NEC
October 25th (evening) Advocacy Awards
October 26th - Special Interest Group
National Advocacy Conference 2018
Be A Force for Change
On 25th OCTOBER 2018, 280 OF US CAME TOGETHER TO CELEBRATE ALL THINGS ADVOCACY. WE PUSHED OURSELVES TO LEARN MORE, SO WE COULD DO MORE AND BE MORE. WE WANT TO THANK EVERYONE WHO CAME AND CONTRIBUTED
10.00 George Julian
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10.30 Human rights: another tool in your advocacy toolbox British Institute of Human Rights
10.00 Key Note Address
11.30 Workshop stream 1
10.00 Key Note Address
1.30 Key Note Address
11.30 Workshop stream 1
1.30 Michael King Local Government Ombudsman
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2.00 Supported Decision Making as a legal right Dr Lucy Series
3.00 WORKSHOP STREAM 2
3.00 WORKSHOP STREAM 2
1. LGBTQ mental health - exploring advocacy apporaches to health inequalities Jacqui Jobson Advocacy Centre North
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2. The Power of Self Advocacy People First
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3. Stopping the Over Medication of people with learning disability, autism or both with psychotropic medicines STOMP and Transforming Care Agenda NHS England
4. The Role of the 1.2 visitor - should advocates act in this role? Advocacy Focus
5. Tips and Tricks in using community care law legislation to promote choice Jess Flanagan Clarke Wilmott Solicitors
6. Commissioning Holistic Advocacy Mark McDonald Just for Kids Law
7. Finding precious feelings - working with people experiencing a dementia Jane Dalrymple
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3.00 Workshop Stream 2
1. Community Circles: A person centred approach to supporting people make decisions about their life Community Circles
2. Complaints and Advocacy
3. Advocacy as a way to realising children's rights Carolyne Willow
4. Will I ever get into my home? Whats the law? Care Act and CCG responsibilities for arranging accomodation Belinda Schwehr
5. The Mental Capacity Act (Amendment) Bill Graham Enderby
6. Supporting Everyday Decisions: Advancing the right to enjoy legal capacity in law and society Prof Rosie Harding
7. Pushing Advocacy's Reach into Local Communities Asist & NCompass
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4.15 Question Time
Join the debate about the future of advocacy and what challenges we face in this full conference Question Time. Chaired by Peter Edwards with panellists, Gail Petty (NDTi), George Julian, Sophie Howes
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You can submit questions on the day or in advance.
10.00 George Julian
​
10.30 Human rights: another tool in your advocacy toolbox British Institute of Human Rights
10.00 Key Note Address
11.30 Workshop stream 1
10.00 Key Note Address
1.30 Key Note Address
11.30 Workshop stream 1
1.30 Michael King Local Government Ombudsman
​
2.00 Supported Decision Making as a legal right Dr Lucy Series
3.00 WORKSHOP STREAM 2
3.00 WORKSHOP STREAM 2
1. LGBTQ mental health - exploring advocacy apporaches to health inequalities Jacqui Jobson Advocacy Centre North
​
2. The Power of Self Advocacy People First
​
3. Stopping the Over Medication of people with learning disability, autism or both with psychotropic medicines STOMP and Transforming Care Agenda NHS England
4. The Role of the 1.2 visitor - should advocates act in this role? Advocacy Focus
5. Tips and Tricks in using community care law legislation to promote choice Jess Flanagan Clarke Wilmott Solicitors
6. Commissioning Holistic Advocacy Mark McDonald Just for Kids Law
7. Finding precious feelings - working with people experiencing a dementia Jane Dalrymple
​
​
3.00 Workshop Stream 2
1. Community Circles: A person centred approach to supporting people make decisions about their life Community Circles
2. Complaints and Advocacy
3. Advocacy as a way to realising children's rights Carolyne Willow
4. Will I ever get into my home? Whats the law? Care Act and CCG responsibilities for arranging accomodation Belinda Schwehr
5. The Mental Capacity Act (Amendment) Bill Graham Enderby
6. Supporting Everyday Decisions: Advancing the right to enjoy legal capacity in law and society Prof Rosie Harding
7. Pushing Advocacy's Reach into Local Communities Asist & NCompass
​
4.15 Question Time
Join the debate about the future of advocacy and what challenges we face in this full conference Question Time. Chaired by Peter Edwards with panellists, Gail Petty (NDTi), George Julian, Sophie Howes
​
You can submit questions on the day or in advance.
10.00 George Julian
​
10.30 Human rights: another tool in your advocacy toolbox British Institute of Human Rights
10.00 Key Note Address
1.30 Key Note Address
11.30 Workshop stream 1
1.30 Michael King Local Government Ombudsman
​
2.00 Supported Decision Making as a legal right Dr Lucy Series
3.00 WORKSHOP STREAM 2
3.00 WORKSHOP STREAM 2
1. LGBTQ mental health - exploring advocacy apporaches to health inequalities Jacqui Jobson Advocacy Centre North
​
2. The Power of Self Advocacy People First
​
3. Stopping the Over Medication of people with learning disability, autism or both with psychotropic medicines STOMP and Transforming Care Agenda NHS England
4. The Role of the 1.2 visitor - should advocates act in this role? Advocacy Focus
5. Tips and Tricks in using community care law legislation to promote choice Jess Flanagan Clarke Wilmott Solicitors
6. Commissioning Holistic Advocacy Mark McDonald Just for Kids Law
7. Finding precious feelings - working with people experiencing a dementia Jane Dalrymple
​
​
3.00 Workshop Stream 2
1. Community Circles: A person centred approach to supporting people make decisions about their life Community Circles
2. Complaints and Advocacy
3. Advocacy as a way to realising children's rights Carolyne Willow
4. Will I ever get into my home? Whats the law? Care Act and CCG responsibilities for arranging accomodation Belinda Schwehr
5. The Mental Capacity Act (Amendment) Bill Graham Enderby
6. Supporting Everyday Decisions: Advancing the right to enjoy legal capacity in law and society Prof Rosie Harding
7. Pushing Advocacy's Reach into Local Communities Asist & NCompass
​
4.15 Question Time
Join the debate about the future of advocacy and what challenges we face in this full conference Question Time. Chaired by Peter Edwards with panellists, Gail Petty (NDTi), George Julian, Sophie Howes
​
You can submit questions on the day or in advance.
What a day. The most incredible day.
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I would like to offer my most sincere gratitude for everyone who came, shared, contributed, challenged and participated in the 2018 Be A Force for Change Conference.
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We opened the conference with a video sandwich. The two videos - the upbeat one and the more serious one which reminded us why advocacy exists - accompanied the marvellous Peter Edwards sandwich filling who treated us to a reminder of the very essence of why protecting people's rights in decision making matters. Yes of course best interests matters, but lets never forget about a person's happiness and Peter, in his inimitable style reminded us of the need for advocates to push for happy decision making.
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Kate took over at this point and asked more of the room - to keep pushing, to never settle. Advocacy exists because things don't go right - don't expect it to be easy, but expect it to matter.
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The first key note speaker was the indefatigable George Julian - activist, amplifier and advocate. George shared her experiences as a family advocate, bearing witness to journeys and actively challenging systems that can be abusive, frightening and bullying. She reminded us all of the power advocacy can have and in the brutality of a system that fails to see people as human.
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Sophie Howes, from the British Institute of Human Rights followed with her powerful reminder that human rights underpin everything that advocates do. Sophie shared many beautiful examples of how the Human Rights Act has been used by advocates to protect peoples rights and compel decision makers to base decisions on people's freedoms and liberty. This theme of human rights ran right throughout the day culminating in Lucy Series' observation that advocates are becoming 'street level lawyers'..... a concept which resonated with many.
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Inspired by the morning speakers, delegates then attended workshops which looked deeper into a number of topics. If law was your thing, workshops included Community Care Law, Care Leavers Rights, Making Complaints and the role of the 1.2 visitor. Whilst other workshops looked at LGBTQ advocacy, Self Advocacy and the STOMP campaign.
After a hearty lunch (thanks NEC) delegates were treated to a national launch of the Top Tips guide for Advocates ​"How you can help to stop the over-medication of people with a learning disability, autism or both". This important campaign impacts ALL advocates who support people with a learning disability or autism and we urge you to download the resource from VoiceAbility and use this in your work.
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Delegates then heard from Lucy Series (MCA legend who needs no introduction) and Michael King (local government ombudsman). Lucy explored capacity (mental and legal capacity) and used the UNCRPD to beautifully illustrate the difference between substituted and supported decision making. Mick explored the relationship between advocates and the ombudsman and reminded us the power of complaints has in changing things - not just for the individual but systemic change.
More workshops followed with dementia specialists, children's rights leaders, community based advocates and speakers sharing research in supported decision making to help push advocacy at the edges. These complemented more technical workshops looking at housing duties and the MCA Amendement Bill.
And if that wasn't enough, the day finished with our very own version of Question Time, yes Question Time, oh Question Time. Panellists alongside the audience debated issues in commissioning, accessibility, specialist deaf advocacy and the need for disabled people to be supported to take active advocacy roles.
We are deeply grateful for speakers, workshop leaders and delegates who shared in the day.
Our sector is powerful. Advocacy is powerful. Coming together in one space amplified this power and I hope you left the event feeling energised and ready to change the freaking world.
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Until next year.... save the date October 31st 2019.