Asist guide:Reach Speaking Up Project

Asist guide:Reach Speaking Up Project

My life

clear communication

“Speak up about something and see if you can get things done.”

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Advocacy

asist

Everyone has a right to be treated as an individual and valued for who they are.

This means seeing someone as a person not a disability or condition.

Everyone should have a say in their lives and have influence over how they live.

This means having choices, support and control to make decisions.

Everyone should be able to experience independence in their lives.

This means having a chance to speak up about what they want in life.

Everyone should have equal opportunities in life and be treated with respect.

This means being included, not left out of things because of a disability or condition.

Advocacy supports rights for everyone.

My life

Reach shared goals

Reach decisions together

Reach people without words

Reach high standards

Reach lots of people

3“My advocate works for me, with me, about me.”

Reach

Reach supports people in Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire to speak up.

Reach is part of Asist advocacy services in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.

Reach was set up in 2000 to support adults with learning disabilities to speak up for themselves and for others.

In Stoke-on-Trent we support adults with learning disabilities to speak up together.

In Staffordshire we have started working with young people and adults with learning disabilities and/or autism.

We have also started working with young people aged 14 to 24 with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

People speak up about their rights and share their views and experiences.

We work together to make sure that every person’s voice counts.

and Stoke-on-Trent

Staffordshire

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Speaking up together in Staffordshire

My life

We work in Staffordshire with

• people with learning disabilities • people with autistic spectrum conditions • young people with special educational needs and disabilities

People speak up about rights and

• important issues in their lives• hopes and plans for the future

People raise awareness and campaign

• for equal rights and opportunities• to be valued members of communities

People share views about plans

• All Ages Disability Strategy• changes to services and support

People check up on

• local health and social care services• quality of services and support

Reach shared goals





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Aims - what Reach do

My life

Parliament

1. Speaking up together about peoples’ rights and helping to raise awareness.

2. Checking how services are working for people and what needs to change.

3. Sharing views about local services and issues that affect peoples’ lives.

4. Raising issues and asking questions on behalf of people in the local area.

5. Working together in partnership with organisations, planning for the future.

“If we didn’t take part we wouldn’t make things better.”

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How Reach works

Group advocacy

We arrange meetings and events for people to speak up together, talk about issues, share opinions and ideas.

Outcomes (the difference this makes):We share views and feedback to help make changes in peoples’ lives.

Partnership working

We work in partnership with local councils, health services, universities and voluntary organisations to plan and check services, produce resources and deliver training.

Outcomes (the difference this makes):We help people to find out what living with a condition or disability means.

Clear information

We make clear information posters, leaflets, fact sheets, information guides, presentations, reports and resources.

Outcomes (the difference this makes):We share information that helps people to get involved and feel included.

Reach shared goals





7“I am more powerful now than when I first started.”

Working together (co-production)

A good group is when people are

working together and taking turns to speak.

A good group is when people are in charge of the group themselves.

When information is there for everyone.

A good facilitator is someone the group

can trust, has patience and respects us.

A good facilitator gives support but knows when to back off...

someone who helps the group to build their skills.

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We are the experts so

we should be involved

in the answers not just

the questions.

We want more

opportunities to

influence, inform

and challenge.

We need strong commitment from organisations and individuals.

We need to know what

the targets and actions

are... what difference

will they make?

Reach shared goals





9“Facilitation to speak up empowers self advocates and helps them achieve greater confidence...in all situations.”

Choose what to work on.

We keep up to date with news and things happening around the country.

People say what is important to them and choose what to speak up about / work on.

Plan how to work together.

We plan meetings, focus groups and events to share news and views.

Prepare and get ready to do the work.

We prepare clear information to help people take part in meetings and events.

Do the work together.

We hold meetings, focus groups and events to help raise issues and share views.

Review the work together.

We review the work and share people’s views and questions in our clear reports.

5 star ways of working

My life

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Involving people

“Not being able to speak isn’t the same as not having something to say...” (Tami Barmache, Dillon’s path, 2016. youtube)

Everyone has something to bring to meetings and can get something out of the experience.

Some people speak up at meetings, asking questions and sharing ideas with the group.

Some people prefer listening to others’ views and ideas to find out what is going on.

Some people do not use words and can use other ways to communicate in meetings.

We work with people in ways that suit them to take part and get involved in speaking up. We make clear information in ways that people can understand using words, pictures and films.

asist asist

Reach shared goals





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Reach targets

“I am supported to speak up. I can find out information but also give information to others.”

6. News and views: we share news, information, reports and feedback about our work.

1. Training: we offer training to help people to speak up about rights and issues.

2. Planning: we support people to work with organisations to plan local services.

3. Informing: we support people to share their views and stories in our local area.

4. Checking: we support people to work with organisations to check and review services.

5. Speaking Up: we support people to speak up together about rights and issues.

10. Leadership: we support people to have a say in the way Reach and Asist work.

7. Working Together: we keep in touch with local, regional and national speaking up groups.

8. Reaching People: we work with groups and organisations to include people from different communities and people with mental ill health.

9. Creative Communication: we use advocacy tools and person centred skills to work with people who do not communicate with words.

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Contact Reach

If you or someone you know wants to work together with Reach you can get in touch with us by phone:

0300 800 1000 local rate charges

get in touch by email

[email protected]

contact us by post:

Reach, Winton House, Stoke Road, Stoke-on-Trent ST4 2RW

asist Advocacy Services. Registered Charity No. 1048075 Company No: 3068125Asist, registered office: Winton House, Stoke Road, Stoke-on-Trent ST4 2RW

Fact sheet and pictogram images made by an Asist Project.

Thanks to Reach Members for photographs used in this guide.

Reach is an independent advocacy project. Some of our funding is from Staffordshire County Council and Stoke-on-Trent City Council.

We receive some grants and money from working in partnership with local universities and organisations to develop and produce resources.

Asist guide:Reach Speaking Up Project

Documents

Transcript of Asist guide:Reach Speaking Up Project