In 2022, The Henry Smith Charity launched a £2.6 million Strategic Grant programme to support 15 organisations providing advocacy services for individuals with learning disabilities and autism across the UK.
This three-year programme is designed to support high-quality advocacy services and foster evidence-based practice. We also want to build evidence to demonstrate the impact of independent and non-statutory advocacy and make a compelling case for increased funding and provision nationally.
Social Finance has released the first in a series of interim reports that showcase insights from our summer 2023 research.
This report highlights:
- How advocacy works and how funding in this area adds real value
- How good advocacy support helps individuals to avoid crisis situations that may affect their health and wellbeing (page 21, page 46)
- The problems accessing advocacy support in different geographical areas and the variability in the quality and distribution of services nationally (page 50)
- Issues surrounding cultural and ethnic diversity and examples of good practice tailoring provision to the needs of different communities
Theory of change
As part of this project we have developed a theory of change to demonstrate the value of advocacy. This sets out how advocacy services support people with learning disabilities and autism to strengthen their voice and have a meaningful stake in decisions that impact their lives. We will continue to shape this theory with the input of grant holders and people using these services in future. You can read the full theory of change on the Social Finance website.
We are optimistic that the findings to date will help shape the future of advocacy and empower people to have their voices heard on a range of issues that affect their lives. We anticipate the publication of the next reports in late 2024 and 2025 and are excited to discover a fresh perspective on the impact and importance of advocacy in action.
By Ellen Rowland, Communications Manager