Advocacy is a key part of the role of all health and social care staff in Ireland. Advocacy is about supporting and empowering people to communicate their will and preference, securing their human rights, or representing their interests. Advocacy is about ensuring person-centred care by placing the person at the centre of any decision-making about their lives and their care. There are times when it is necessary to involve an independent advocate to support a person, staff should support people to access these services when required.
We have developed an online learning course, booklet and educational video on The Fundamentals of Advocacy in health and social care. Advocacy is a key element in all national standards published by HIQA.
We have developed a poster that can be printed and displayed in your workplace to promote the online learning course on The Fundamentals of Advocacy in health and social care.
The online course, booklet, video and poster aim to enhance understanding of advocacy and to enable staff to better support people using services to advocate for themselves and to access advocacy services. The resources describe the role of health and social care staff in relation to advocacy and how they can support person-centred care within their service.