Community Advocacy Programme

In 2006 DESSA successfully applied to the Citizens Information Board for funding to establish the Community Advocacy Project in the south east, based in Waterford. DESSA in association with project partners – the Family Support Agency and St. Brigid’s Family Centre, Waterford – will work with Family Resource Centres in the south east in the establishment of representation advocacy services for local disabled people within FRC-catchment areas.  

Introduction to the Community Advocacy Project

The Community Advocacy Project aims to use the Family Resource Centre (FRC) model as a means for providing representative advocacy services to people with disabilities and their families within the south-east region. 

FRCs are projects involved in anti-poverty and social inclusion initiatives in their communities and have a clear focus in identifying the needs of family and in providing community based supports. The aim of an FRC is essentially to help combat disadvantage by improving the functioning of the family unit. Centres can provide special services for lone parent families, people with disabilities and their families, young people and others considered in need of extra support and can act as a first step towards community participation and social inclusion.

FRCs are ideally placed to advocate on behalf of disabled people and their families within the local community context. This project seeks to proactively target local people with disabilities in ensuring they can access an inclusive and quality advocacy service.

A key feature of this project is the development of working relationships with all FRCs in the south east region in the promotion and delivery of advocacy services to local disabled people. It is envisaged that clinics be established in each FRC to facilitate the provision of a local community-based advocacy service. The project will be overseen by an Advisory Group comprising DESSA, FSA and St. Brigid’s FRC. Other key stakeholders, such as St. Brigid’s CIC and the FRC Regional Forum will be invited to be part of this group, along with the Citizens Information Board. This Advisory Group will liaise with the Citizens Information Board Regional Services on a regular basis in the development of the project.

The central vision of this project is that disabled people will have an awareness of and the confidence to access a highly professional and efficient advocacy service within their own community. 

Key Elements of the Community Advocacy Project

The two-year Community Advocacy Project will entail the employment of a Project Worker to undertake the following work:

  • liaison with the FRCs in the south-east region in the promotion of and participation in the Community Advocacy Project
  • identification of vulnerable  people with disabilities and their families within local communities
  • establishment of advocacy services through a ‘clinic’ system within each of the 14 FRCs based on consultations with the individual FRC, the Citizens Information Board, people with disabilities and other information providers
  • promotion of the Community Advocacy Project among local people with disabilities and their families, local and regional disability service providers and development agencies
  • research into the potential of mainstreaming the Community Advocacy Project among all FRCs nationwide

Aim

To use the Family Resource Centre (FRC) model as a means for providing representative advocacy services to people with disabilities and their families within the south-east region. 

Objectives

  • To identify a way of meeting the information needs of people with disabilities who are not availing of existing supports and services
  • To create awareness of locally-based representational advocacy services within communities among providers and people with disabilities through consultation
  • To offer a local representational advocacy service to local disabled people
  • To document the process of providing targeted advocacy services to local disabled people through the FRCs model
  • To consult with the Family Support Agency in the value of the FRC model in this service provision nationwide

Target Group

The identified target group for the Community Advocacy Project are people with disabilities and their families living in FRC designated areas in the south east region.  Specifically, the Community Advocacy Project will target people seeking a social/information service and young people progressing through education. 

The expected outcomes of the Community Advocacy Project are:

  • There will be a high quality and accessible advocacy service able to respond to the information needs of disabled people at a community level
  • Due to the availability of an inclusive proactive advocacy service there will be an increased number of people with disabilities accessing information
  • There will be an increased number of people with disabilities using other services within FRCs
  • People with disabilities will become more involved within their community thereby leading to a decrease in levels of isolation and exclusion experienced by them
  • The 14 FRCs involved in this project will formally incorporate advocacy work into their work plans
  • The potential of using the FRC model as a gateway to the provision of community-based advocacy will be explored in detail

Benefits of the Community Advocacy Project

The project will enhance existing information provision within the community by adopting targeted and proactive approaches to the challenge of ensuring disabled people are accessing services and entitlements.

Benefits to People with Disabilities

  • The Community Advocacy Project will enable people with disabilities and their families access a high quality service
  • Involvement in the Community Advocacy Project will enable people with disabilities to become involved in other aspects of FRC work and services and hence establish and maintain contacts within their local community

Benefits to Partners

  • The Community Advocacy Project will enable DESSA to make contact with and support those individuals with disabilities who experience high degrees of isolation and exclusion
  • The FSA are committed to ensuring the full inclusion of people with disabilities within the work of FRCs. The Community Advocacy Project will ensure the FRC model is being utilised to ensure such inclusion
  • The Community Advocacy Project will enable St. Brigid’s FRC to meet their social inclusion remit within the community and will contribute to people with disabilities becoming active members of their community 

Benefits to the Citizens Information Board 

  • The Community Advocacy Project will complement and support the work of existing information provision in the south east region and, in particular, the CIC based in St. Brigid’s FRC
  • The Community Advocacy Project will promote an advocacy service that is rooted in local community