Advocacy Skills for Health and Social Care Professionals

Neil Bateman manages Suffolk County Council and Suffolk Health Authority's Welfare Rights Unit. An adviser to the Local Government Association, he has over 20 years' experience of advocacy on behalf of people using the welfare state.

• PART ONE: CONTEXTS. 1. What advocacy is, why it matters and why it happens. 2. Ethical principles for effective advocacy. 3. Advocacy in action. PART TWO: THE ADVOCATE'S SKILLS. 4. Introduction to Part Two. 5. Interviewing. 6. Assertiveness and force. 7. Negotiation. 8. Self-management. 9. Legal knowledge and research. 10. Litigation. 11. A structure for advocacy. 12. What next? References. Index.

Bateman's knowledge - with over 20 years experience of advocacy - is evident throughout. This paperback has the potential to become a sought-after reference tool, offering important pointers about the roles of an advocate. Both interesting and informative, I would fully expect it to remain a useful resource, at least until the time of the next required update.