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

本项目将从属于服务使用者、倡导者、护理人员和社会工作者四个参与者群体的个人角度，探讨2014年英国独立倡导的经验和看法。将解决的主要研究问题是：-《护理法案》的宣传效果如何？-有效宣传存在哪些挑战和障碍？-作为一个职业群体，《护理法案》倡导者的身份是什么？-《护理法案》倡导如何与更广泛的倡导联系起来，包括其他类型的法定倡导，如独立精神能力倡导者的作用？该项目将对知识做出贡献，因为之前没有发表过与《护理法案》倡导实践有关的实质性研究。2014年的CA显著增加了倡导在成人社会护理过程中的作用，引入了地方当局为个人提供独立倡导者的责任，否则这些个人在充分参与这些过程中会有“重大困难”，如果没有合适的个人可以非正式地提供这种帮助（CA, 2014: 67(4&5)）。2014年《护理法》还规定，在某些情况下，护理人员有权获得自己的独立辩护（卫生和社会保障部，2018年）。该计划将包括考虑照顾者的倡议。有一个关于社会关怀倡导的重要学术机构，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）。倡导以各种形式存在：共同的是个人或团体代表自己或他人发言的过程，以促进所倡导的个人或团体的积极变化，确保他们的利益得到代表，并最大限度地提高他们参与制定影响他们的决策的程度（Newbigging等人，2017年，第8页；Dixon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争议（Brandon and Brandon, 2001）。尽管Wilks（2012）认为倡导是社会工作角色的一个组成部分，Forbat和Atkinson（2005）以及Hardwick（2014）对地方倡导服务的研究发现了倡导与法定社会工作之间的重要差异和紧张关系的来源。

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.