Kim Walsh, Author at Advocacy Focus

Advocacy Awareness Week 2021: Why I Became an Advocate

April 11, 2022 7:02 am Comments Off

By Demi Houghton, LPS Lead, Advocacy Focus

My family have a background in social care and have supported family members who have been diagnosed with dementia so I am aware of what a minefield the social care system can be to navigate.

As a family,we had been involved with making important decisions about our relatives when they had lost capacity to do so. We realised how important it was that we were involved as often what the professionals were suggesting was the exact opposite of what they would have wanted.

From decisions about treatment, putting in place a Do Not Attempt Resuscitation order, or where they should live – the decision making never seemed to start by considering what the person would want, rather what the professionals felt was best. But what would have happened if we hadn’t been involved?

I quickly realised that Advocates have such a vital role in supporting people to make sure that very important decisions about their lives aren’t made without them being involved.

Before becoming an independent Advocate, I was at university studying law. I had gone in to my third year unsure of what I wanted to do after graduating, as I wasn’t sure that legal practice was suited to me, but knew that I wanted a career where I could use my knowledge to help people.

During my final year, I studied mental health law and found out about the work of Independent Advocates – a role I hadn’t been aware of before, but soon realised what important work they do. Advocates are the ones that speak up for people when they don’t have any family members to do so. We can support when family members who are feeling (understandably) overwhelmed by the system and don’t know where to turn..

I quickly realised that Advocates have such a vital role in supporting people to make sure that very important decisions about their lives aren’t made without them being involved.

I wanted to become an Advocate to support people to be heard and kept at the centre of any decisions that are made about their lives. I’ve been an Advocate for five years, but that time has flown by! Advocacy is a really rewarding role that allows me to apply my knowledge of the law to support people, uphold their rights and have their voice heard. I’m still really interested in the academic side of law and keep up to date with legal developments and with case law coming out of the Court of Protection.

When the Liberty Protection Safeguards were announced to replace the current Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, I was keen to follow their development through Parliament to where we are now – eagerly awaiting the Code of Practice and the Regulations that will tell us what our advocacy role will look like under this new system.

This has led to an exciting career development for me, as I have taken on the role of LPS Lead here at Advocacy Focus. There is so much yet to find out about how the advocacy role will be different under DOLS, but we know that LPS will provide safeguards to more people that are deprived of their liberty – meaning that we are able to support and make a difference for many more people. Implementing LPS will be a challenge, but it’s one I’m looking forward to!

If you’re interested in a career in advocacy, check out our careers page.

Trustees Week 2021: Why I Became a Trustee for Advocacy Focus

6:50 am Comments Off

Our Trustee, Chris, tells us how he’s getting on as the newest member of our Board, as part of Trustees Week 2021. Fancy becoming a Trustee for our charity? Then, read on!

With the first week of November being UK Trustees Week, as a relatively new Trustee I thought I’d share my thoughts on my first twelve months or so in the role with Advocacy Focus.

So, how did I become a Trustee? Well, it wasn’t something that I had ever really considered before. Pre-Covid, I was fully focused on my consultancy business which involved travelling up and down the country. Then, as we all know, things changed and travelling became more infrequent. I looked for networking opportunities and discovered a regular meeting held virtually at the University of Central Lancashire. Our CEO Justine was in the same meeting, had mentioned that they were on the lookout for new Trustees and following a couple of emails and conversations I was invited to attend my first meeting.

I didn’t really know much about the concept of advocacy before joining the Board to be honest. I wasn’t sure that I’d necessarily be able to add much value but from the discussions it was clear that my skills would bring something different and that actually it wasn’t a problem.

The other Trustees and the Senior Leadership Team have been incredibly supportive – I was provided with a buddy on the Board that I could ask any daft questions if I needed to (which I did!).

Having spent the first few meetings all virtual, we had our first face-to-face Board meeting in October, and it was great to meet my other Trustees in person rather than as a little picture in the corner of a computer screen.

I’ve also taken every opportunity I could to join in the activities that Board members have been invited to – so I have been to a Wellbeing Day and to a Team Meeting since the pandemic-related restrictions have started to ease. It’s been great to meet the wider team to hear first-hand of their experiences delivering the excellent advocacy work they’re doing on a daily basis. It gives me an opportunity to understand more about what we do as a charity and hopefully at the same time gives the team access to the Board as I have worked in organisations that have been very much an ‘us and them’ mentality between the employees and the Board. I wasn’t able to get to what sounded like an excellent conference that they hosted because of work commitments I couldn’t rearrange but other Trustees attended and fed back on how everyone did a brilliant job.

In terms of time commitment, I sit on two sub-groups (currently chairing one) and the regular quarterly Board meetings. So it’s probably two or three hours a month I would imagine (attending the other team activities are optional but I’ve been able to work around work commitments). I feel like I’m able to add value and give something back as a result of being a Trustee, and look forward to continuing to do so in the future. I didn’t know about Advocacy Focus before but now am passionate about trying to help them in any small way to being the best they can be.

By Chris Lintern, Trustee, Advocacy Focus.

Chris has spent almost 20 years specialising in risk management and resilience across a number of sectors, and set up his own business just over three years ago. He has worked within financial services within the banking and insurance arms of the Co-op and at Barclays, and moved to Jermyn Consulting in 2014 before establishing Ashton Resilience in 2017. He provides consultancy support to organisations within financial services, higher and further education, and food manufacturing.

What is a Trustee?

Trustees sit on the board of a charity. They play a vital role – volunteering their time and expertise to make important decisions about the charity’s work.

Why become a Trustee?

Contact us on 0300 323 0965 or email admin@advocacyfocus.org.uk if you wish to find out more about how to become a Trustee for Advocacy Focus.

Advocacy Focus Goes International

6:38 am Comments Off

Advocacy Focus has been commissioned by researchers and Advocates in Japan, who wish to find out more about children and young people’s advocacy services in the UK.

Our training portfolio has gained momentum over the last year, working with the likes of Footasylum, Citizen’s Advice and more. Now we are excited to announce our new partnership with a group of professionals in Japan, who are looking to legislate child advocacy services and train Advocates in their country.

Our dedicated training and children’s advocacy teams have worked with the research group on a one to one basis to build a bespoke session on ‘Children and Young People’s Advocacy Practice in the UK.’ The training includes an overview of qualifications and training, challenges facing the sector, case studies, how we visit and support children and young people in local authority care and much more.

Justine Hodgkinson, CEO, says:

“We are really excited to be working with the team in Japan. Not only does it show how strong the UK’s advocacy sector is but having been referred to us from an esteemed source, how strong our own advocacy service and training provision is.

“I am extremely proud of Carolina who has worked hard to overhaul our training provision over the last year, which has seen us work with many forward thinking organisations. We know this is just the start of our international training portfolio and welcome any businesses to get in touch if they require advocacy training.

“I am extremely proud of our team and our training offer that has thrived over the last year, despite the challenges we have faced due to the pandemic. We have worked with many forward thinking organisations and we are hopeful that this is just the first of many international opportunities to share best practice. We have delivered advocacy related activities for over 23 years, any businesses that want to work with us to improve their offer are in a safe pair of hands.”

Masatsugu Hori, part of the team in Japan, says:

“We first heard about Advocacy Focus through a glowing recommendation from our esteemed friends Jane Darlymple and Kate Mercer. We had a look at the website and saw the great work [they are] doing to lead advocacy in the UK, and we wanted to ask them to run the workshop.

“In Japan, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) is currently considering the establishment of a system of child advocacy, and such new system is expected to be established in 2022. Some of our researchers have been involved in a Government Committee to recommend the creation of an independent and powerful advocacy system on the model of the UK.

“There are also model advocacy projects in several local authorities across the country, some of which run by commissioned children’s rights organisation. For example, we are now in our fourth year of advocacy work in Osaka, where we visit institutions. Our group is made up mainly of researchers and practitioners who have been involved in such activities.”

Download our full training brochure here.

Advocacy Focus Retains Mind Gold Award for Workplace Wellbeing in 2021/22

6:34 am Comments Off

Advocacy Focus is proud to once again be recognised by Mind in their annual Workplace Wellbeing Index, ranking second place overall for our wellbeing initiatives out of 114 organisations.

The Workplace Wellbeing Index is a benchmark of best policy and practice for supporting mental health at work. As part of the index our staff completed Mind’s anonymous wellbeing survey to assess our culture, initiatives, and overall attitude to mental health, plus how we’re responding to the COVID19 pandemic.

Justine Hodgkinson, CEO, says:

“It’s been a tough year for our team, having to completely change the way they work, not being able to physically be there for the people they support, having to learn new technologies and juggle home, family and work life, so it was vital that we had robust support procedures in place.

“We are delighted to see that our team are happy with our approach and are confident in our ability to support them. When our team feels supported, they are in a much better position to support the people in our communities. We are extremely pleased to be recognised by Mind and to come second overall out of 114 organisations is a real testament to the work we have put in behind the scenes.

“But our work is never done. Now, as we face the easing of restrictions, resume face to face meetings and bring people back to the office, we know we’re going to have to ensure we tailor these policies and procedures for a new working world.

Over the next 12 months we want to give other workplaces across the North West the opportunity to achieve gold standard, workplace wellbeing. Which is where our mental health training comes in and how this will give every organisation that works with us, the opportunity to support their team to turn up to work as the best versions of themselves.

“I am so proud to be in a workplace that challenges mental health stigma and work alongside a team that feel comfortable and confident to normalise the conversation about mental health. Over the next 12 months we want to give other workplaces across the North West the opportunity to achieve gold standard, workplace wellbeing. Which is where our mental health training comes in and how this will give every organisation that works with us, the opportunity to support their team to turn up to work as the best versions of themselves.”

To find out more about the Mind Wellbeing Index, click here.
To view Advocacy Focus workplace mental health training courses, click here.

Awards Season Kicks off with a Bang for Advocacy Focus

6:27 am Comments Off

It’s been a challenging year for many charities and we know first-hand just how many of us have had to adapt quickly to support more people than ever during constantly changing restrictions and guidelines.

Many in our sector have done an amazing job, quickly adapting processes, procedures and embracing technology, whilst absorbing large operating costs, to continue to support those who need us. Embracing new technology to ensure that our team were agile and responsive, and out in the communities that needed us the most.

That’s why this year’s awards season is going to be extremely tough; with many charities and businesses alike deserving to be recognised for the way they have faced and handled the pandemic.

We are so proud to be one of those charities.

We have been shortlisted for three awards at this year’s Hyndburn Business Awards and one award at this year’s BIBAs.

Our CEO, Justine Hodgkinson, says: “The awards season is always so impressive, with many amazing businesses and charities from our area; we absolutely love seeing all the success stories in Lancashire and Hyndburn.

“After the last year, more stories begin to emerge about all those amazing businesses and charities who have weathered a difficult 12 months and who deserve to be recognised. We are extremely proud of our team for the way they have faced this pandemic and continued to support those who needed us, and they too deserve to be up there.”

We are shortlisted for Large Business of the Year, the Non-Profit Award and the Workplace Development Award at this year’s Hyndburn Business Awards and the Community Business of the Year at this year’s BIBAs.

We have made many changes in our charity over the last 12 months, including launching new projects in response to the pandemic, supporting people with and via technology, working with professionals to ensure wrap-around support and looking after the mental health and wellbeing of our own team whilst they adapt to working more flexibly.

Justine finishes: “We are excited to be able to celebrate with everyone face to face and network with all these amazing professionals in one room once again. We wish all those shortlisted good luck for the awards and all the best for the year ahead.”

The Hyndburn Business Awards celebrates the achievements, quality and diversity of local businesses and people in Hyndburn.
The BIBAs are Lancashire’s longest running business awards programme and run by the North & Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce. The awards celebrate businesses and entrepreneurs across the county.

Volunteers Week 2021: Meet Ben

April 8, 2022 1:20 pm Comments Off

It’s Volunteers Week and to showcase some of the amazing work our volunteers do, we’d like to share Ben’s story.

Ben* was 10 years old when he met our volunteer. He lived in foster care with his female foster carer and her mother. Ben’s social worker made a referral into our Independent Visitor service, as Ben wished to have a male influence in his life. Ben has been diagnosed with ADHD and PTSD.

What is an Independent Visitor (IV)?

An Independent Visitor is a volunteer who befriends a young person in care. It is an increasingly vital and valuable role that can make a positive difference to a child’s life.

What our IV did

Our IV introduced Ben to the local stables for horse riding where he would go two times per week. They also encouraged him to join the Air Cadets, and a youth club. The IV initially took him out twice a month, increasing to three times a month shortly after. Since the pandemic, Ben has continued to move between children’s homes and foster carers, his only constant has been our IV. Over the years they have played football, swimming and occasionally diving; watching ice hockey; cinema; clothes shopping; playing badminton and much more.

Volunteer Feedback

Our volunteer said:

“During the initial contacts, Ben found it hard to trust me and lacked confidence in trying new activities. However, he did gain more confidence, for example, by attending a diving session where he eventually showed no fears in jumping from the 10 metre board. He also learned to trust that I wasn’t reporting back to people all the things he was saying or doing whilst out on visits. Over 4 years we have developed a close relationship. To the extent that with all the changes of placement and phone numbers over the past 18 months, Ben always answers my texts and/or phone calls. Whilst we haven’t been able to see each other very often and certainly haven’t been able to do activities [because of the pandemic] nevertheless we have retained a good relationship and retain trust and respect.”

Read more about becoming an Independent Visitor here.

How to bring nature indoors when you can’t get outside

1:00 pm Comments Off

We don’t think we’ve ever paid more attention to the weather than we have in the last year – with restrictions on indoor activity in place, many of us have been forced to rekindle our relationships with the great outdoors.

Being outside in nature can help to reduce stress, fear and anger and can even physically reduce blood pressure, heart rate and muscle tension. Nature is also the theme of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week.

But what happens when you can’t get outside? We know that not everyone has access to green space and not everyone is able to physically go outside and enjoy nature. Some of us have limited access or need extra support to go outdoors, for example, if you live in a care home or if you are in hospital.

So we want to bring nature to you, and here’s 10 ways we can do it.

1. Indoor Plants

If you are able to buy or grow plants in your indoor space we highly recommend it – and there really is no limit to how many plants you get! Benefits of plants include improving mood, concentration and compassion. Not to mention that houseplants release oxygen through the day and will help improve the air quality in your home. This in turn helps to improve your immune system and of course, your mental health. You can even download apps to your phone to help keep your plants alive, such as Waterbot. Read about the best 25 indoor plants here and if you have pets, make sure that any plants you buy are of the non-toxic variety to keep them safe.

2. Ask Alexa

Research has found that spending 60 seconds listening to outdoor sounds can help us to reach a higher state of relaxation. Did you know that you can Ask Alexa to play some soothing outdoor sounds such as rain, waves, thunderstorms and more? Simply ask Alexa to ‘open nature sounds,’ and she will ask you what you want to hear.

3. Watch nature documentaries

We know that this one is obvious – but this is one of our favourites, watching nature documentaries can transport us to almost anywhere in the world alongside animals and wildlife we would never be able experience up close. Just watching how nature thrives and acts when uninfluenced can help to improve our mood and deliver some much needed cuteness. Head to the ‘Nature and Ecology Documentaries’ section on Netflix and you won’t be disappointed.

4. Start an indoor herb garden

Herbs are easy to grow and don’t require much work, all they do require is direct light, so they grow easily when placed in windows around the house. Head over to Amazon and you will find lots of indoor herb kits, including this Herb-a-Licious Grow Kit that is also 100% recyclable. And if you’re buying on Amazon – don’t forget to add us as your Amazon Smile charity!

5. Decorate with images of nature

Studies show that just looking at nature can improve brain function and positive thinking. In fact, some scientists also say that just looking at the colour green instantly soothes us. Download free nature photos from places like Unsplash and Pixabay and decorate your living space until your heart’s content.

6. Guided meditation

We couldn’t create this list without mentioning the power of visualisation. Our imaginations are extremely powerful and under the right circumstances we can simply close our eyes and transport ourselves to anywhere in the world. Use a nature guided meditation to help you relax and focus. If you have the Headspace app, you’ll already find lots of nature based meditations on there, or simply have a Google to see what’s out there. Or if you fancy something more visual, check out Mindful Escapes on BBC iPlayer.

7. Get yourself a SAD lamp

The light produced from a SAD lamp simulates outdoor light and can encourage your brain to produce melatonin and serotonin (the hormones that make you sleepy and happy). Research shows that SAD lamps can be used to treat insomnia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and dementia. Light therapy usually works best in the morning, but be sure to speak to your doctor if your eyes or skin are sensitive to light.

8. Let the fresh air in!

We know this is another obvious one but how many of us routinely open our windows? The great British weather sometimes – or should we say, most of the time – stops us from doing so. But we would always recommend opening windows when you can and airing out your living space and breathing in the fresh air each morning. Opening two windows on opposite sides of the room (if you can) can also create a cross wind, letting the bad air our and the good air in.

9. Wildlife Webcams

Fancy watching some cute animals live? Of course you do! As a result of the pandemic many zoos and wildlife centres have been live streaming their animals and wildlife activity, the London Zoo even launched their own Virtual Zoo. But don’t stop there, there are wildlife cameras set up in numerous countries around the world; you can even watch polar bears in Alaska. Check out this article to find the best wildlife cams in the UK.

10. Breathe in the smells of nature

Use an essential oil diffuser to fill your home with the scents of the outdoors. You can pick them up on Amazon from £15. Essential oils have many other benefits other than just making your room smell nice, depending on the oil you use they can help to reduce stress and anxiety and improve your immune system. There are so many oils to choose from including lavender, lemongrass and eucalyptus.

See how to set us up as your Amazon Smile charity here. When you set us up as your Amazon Smile charity, it means we get a portion of the sale.

Have you found a great way to bring the outdoors indoors that we haven’t mentioned above? Be sure to et us know!
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Advocacy Focus’s Roadmap out of lockdown

12:36 pm Comments Off

Following the recent publication of the Government’s “roadmap out of lockdown”, the way we are delivering our services will be changing.

All during the lockdowns we have continued to carry out face to face visits with the people we support in essential circumstances, in line with government guidance. We now plan to complete all our visits face-to-face visit wherever it is safe and appropriate to do so .

We recognise that this approach may not suit everyone, and you may prefer to continue receiving support from an advocate remotely, to keep yourself and others safe. We will therefore continue to offer virtual appointments for those that would prefer them.

The health and wellbeing of the people we support, and our team, remain our top priority and we are committed to slowing the rate of transmission of COVID-19.

Please do not be alarmed if our team are wearing face masks, or other protective equipment. Our advocates will also be adhering to the 2-metre social distancing rule for your safety and their own.

The past 14 months have been challenging for us all, but we are hopeful for a brighter future. If you need any information, advice or support in relation to your advocacy needs or health and wellbeing please visit fill in the contact form or call us us on 0300 3230965

Keep safe and well

There Is Always Hope campaign

12:20 pm Comments Off

If you’re struggling with your mental health, please don’t suffer alone. There is someone out there who will listen, if you’d rather talk to someone who doesn’t know you, visit https://hubofhope.co.uk/ type in your postcode and find help near you. You can also download the Hub of Hope app to access support.

Last week saw the launch of the #ThereIsAlwaysHope campaign. A partnership between our Patron Jake Mills, from Chasing The Stigma, in partnership with Network Rail

The campaign aims to humanise and normalise mental health, remove stigma attached to mental ill health and signpost people to help before they reach crisis point. The ‘Hub of Hope’ is a free mental health app which lists the most relevant and readily available support near you, when you need it. The app is available for Apple and Android devices.

Advocacy Focus sign the Armed Forces Covenant

12:05 pm Comments Off

We are delighted to demonstrate our support for the Armed Forces Community by signing the Armed Forces Covenant. Here at Advocacy Focus we currently employ 3 Armed Forces Veterans, including our CEO Justine Hodgkinson.

Author Archives: Kim Walsh

We are so proud to be one of those charities.