Development of Advocacy Organisations and their networks in England and Wales

Confidential

James Crowe

June 2010, Budapest

22

1. The 19th Century Legacy2. New Challenges; Great Depression and World War Two3. The Change from Charity to Entitlement4. Demand versus Supply5. Encouragement of NGOs – 16. Encouragement of NGOs – 27. Learning Disability in the 1960s and 1970s8. Rights and a New Pattern of Service9. All Wales Principles10. Why Have an Umbrella Body? Role of LDW11. Learning Disability Wales (LDW)12. LDW Activities13. Features of the LDW Umbrella14. Wales15. Welsh Assembly Government & the Voluntary Sector – NGOs16. Challenges in working with government

Contents

33

The 19th Century Legacy

• 1834 Poor Law; the deserving poor and needy

• Workhouses and Asylums; Charles Dickens and Oliver Twist

• Paternalistic employers and the cooperative movement

• Religious social welfare organisations; Barnardos

• 1919; National Council of Social Service

44

New Challenges; Great Depression and World War Two

• Centres for the Unemployed

• Citizens Advice Bureaux network

created with 10,000 volunteers

• Women’s Voluntary Service: 1m

volunteers

55

The Change from Charity to Entitlement

• 1942: William Beveridge Report on ‘5 Giant Evils’

• 1946: Creation of National Health Service and Social Security

benefits

66

Demand versus Supply

• 1946: Formation of ‘National Association of Parents of

Backward Children’

• Development of appeals and redress processes

• New legal and para-legal advocates

• 1960’s : Creation of campaigning advocacy organisations;

Shelter, Oxfam, Spastics Society

77

Encouragement of NGOs – 1

1. Beveridge: ‘bridging the gap between the state, it’s

agencies and the community’

2. Recognition of;

• Ability to experiment

• Be more flexible than govt agencies

• Avoiding stigma

• Ability to generate unpaid assistance

88

Encouragement of NGOs – 2

• Improvements to legal framework

• More favourable tax treatment

• 1988: ‘Agenda for Action’. Beginning of commissioning by

municipalities

• 1992: National Lottery commences with % of profit to NGO’s

99

Learning Disability in the 1960s and 1970s

• The Cinderella

• Abuse scandals in hospitals; Ely

• Children and young people ‘ineducable’

1010

Rights and a New Pattern of Service

• 1975: first Pathway employment service started

• 1983: All Wales Mental Handicap Strategy

• 1984: Creation of Learning Disability Wales

• 1984/90: Development of NGO’s as large scale providers

1111

All Wales Principles 1983

• People with learning disabilities have a right to;

• An ordinary pattern of life in the community

• Be treated as an individual

• Additional help and support in achieving their maximum

potential

1212

Why Have an Umbrella Body? Role of LDW

• Balance voice of government and of parents

• Voice for NGOs

• Encourage development of NGOs

1313

Learning Disability Wales (LDW)

• Commitment to values and a person-centred approach

• Has 110 NGOs as members

• Members include service providers, parent/carer groups

and groups of people with learning disabilities

1414

LDW Activities

• Campaigning and lobbying

• Providing information

• Providing training and conferences

• Promoting best practice in services

• Hosting new advocacy organisations

1515

Features of the LDW Umbrella

• Governance and election processes

• Member consultation

• Facilitator and coordinator

1616

Wales

• Population- 2.9m

• Long Term Illness or disability-

23%

• Poverty- 1 in 4 in low income

• Adults with severe learning

disability; 10,800

1717

Welsh Assembly Government & the Voluntary Sector - NGOs

• Voluntary Sector Scheme

• Voluntary Sector Partnership Council

• Compacts between Municipalities and Voluntary

Sector

1818

Challenges in working with government

• ‘Biting the hand that feeds you’

• Working with politicians

• Speaking with one voice