Speaking to Power

Anyone working, or planning to work, as an advocate for people who need help in dealing with public services will want to read this book. Advocacy is an area of increasing importance in service provision, especially in the voluntary sector. New ways of working have to be found that increasingly create an enabling, rather than a providing, state and advocacy has an important part to play in this shift. Based on the experience of real advocates and using case studies based on real practice issues, "Speaking to power" is written in a vivid, jargon-free style that will make it an enjoyable read for professionals, students and lay people alike. As well as practical chapters on 'what advocates do', using case studies from Scotland where important developments are taking place, the book discusses how advocacy fits into the broader scheme of things. It describes and discusses examples of advocacy, both for individuals and for groups, with chapters dealing with management, training and evaluation of the work. It concludes with a thought-provoking discussion of various strategies which help vulnerable people speak to power on more equal terms. "Speaking to power" will be particularly helpful to advocates working with people who have mental health difficulties or learning difficulties, for doctors, nurses and social workers involved in this work, and for students preparing to enter those professions. It will also be of interest to students of social policy and other readers concerned about Britain's broader social and political development.