Experiences and Perceptions of Independent Advocacy under the Care Act 2014: An Explorative Study

该项目将从属于四个参与群体的个人的角度，探索在2014年英国CA下提供的独立倡导的经验和看法：服务用户，倡导者，照顾者和社会工作者。将解决的主要研究问题是：-如何有效的护理法案的宣传？有效宣传存在哪些挑战和障碍？作为一个职业群体，《护理法》倡导者的身份是什么？护理法的倡导如何与更广泛的倡导有关，包括其他类型的法定倡导，如独立精神能力倡导者的作用？该项目将对知识作出贡献，因为以前没有发表过与《护理法》宣传实践有关的实质性研究报告。2014年《儿童保护法》显著增加了宣传在成人社会照料过程中的作用，规定地方当局有义务为那些在其他情况下“很难”充分参与这些过程的个人提供独立的宣传，前提是没有适当的个人可以非正式地提供这种援助（儿童保护法，2014年：67（4&5））。CA 2014还引入了照顾者在某些情况下获得自己独立辩护的权利（卫生和社会护理部，2018）。该项目将包括考虑照顾者的倡导，在社会照顾倡导方面有大量的学术研究，该项目可以借鉴。这包括来自英国以外的研究（例如Whelan，2016; Sherwood-Johnson，2016）。倡导存在于各种形式中：共同的是个人或团体代表自己或他人发言的过程，以促进被倡导的个人或团体的积极变化，确保他们的利益得到代表，并最大限度地参与影响他们的决策（纽比格等人，2017，第8页;狄克逊等人，2018年，第4页）。然而，倡导的多面性意味着这一概念经常受到质疑（布兰登和布兰登，2001年）。虽然威尔克斯（2012年）认为，宣传是社会工作角色的一个组成部分，但Forbat和Atkinson（2005年）和Hardwick（2014年）对当地宣传服务的研究确定了宣传和法定社会工作之间的重要差异和紧张关系。

This project will explore experiences and perceptions of independent advocacy delivered under the CA 2014 in England, from the perspective of individuals belonging to four participant groups: service users, advocates, carers and social workers. The principal research questions that will be addressed are:- How effective is Care Act advocacy?- What challenges and obstacles exist to effective advocacy?- What is the identity of Care Act advocates as an occupational group?- How does Care Act advocacy relate to advocacy more broadly, including other types of statutory advocacy such as the role of Independent Mental Capacity Advocate?The project would make a contribution to knowledge as there have been no previously published, substantial research studies relating to the practice of Care Act advocacy. The CA 2014significantly increased advocacy's role within the processes of adult social care, introducing a duty on local authorities to provide independent advocates for individuals who would otherwise have 'significant difficulty' in being fully involved in these processes, provided there is not an appropriate individual who could provide this assistance informally (CA, 2014: 67(4&5). The CA 2014 also introduced the right of carers to access their own independent advocacy, in certain circumstances (Department of Health & Social Care, 2018). The project will include consideration of carers' advocacy.There exists a significant body of scholarship concerning social care advocacy, which the project can draw upon. This includes studies from outside England (e.g. Whelan, 2016; Sherwood-Johnson, 2016). Advocacy exists in a variety of forms: common to these is the process of an individual or group speaking on their own or another's behalf, in order to promote positive change for the individual or group being advocated for, to ensure their interests are represented, and to maximise their level of involvement in making decisions that affect them (Newbigging et al., 2017, p.8; Dixon et al., 2018, p.4). Yet the multi-faceted nature of advocacy means that the concept is often contested (Brandon and Brandon, 2001). Whereas Wilks (2012) contends that advocacy is an integral part of the social work role, studies of local advocacy services by Forbat and Atkinson (2005) and Hardwick (2014) identify important differences and sources of tension between advocacy and statutory social work.