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
