Under the Citizens Information Act 2007 the Citizens Information Board has a mandate to provide advocacy targeted at people with disabilities. Developing an Advocacy Service for People with Disabilities, which was commissioned from Goodbody Economic Consultants and published in July 2004, sets out a strategic approach to developing advocacy services for people with disabilities. A three-stranded approach was recommended:
- A Personal Advocacy Service, to be provided by the CIB;
- A Programme of Support for Community and Voluntary Organisations to provide advocacy services; and
- A Community Visitors Programme, which will be volunteer based and visit people with disabilities in residential centres.
Under strand 2, in 2005, 2006 and 2007 the Citizens Information Board looked for applications from the community and voluntary sector for the provision of advocacy services to people with disabilities. As a result forty six pilot projects were established, many as partnerships, and these are now operating in the sector. In December 2007, Citizens Information Board published an updated edition of Advocacy Guidelines which had originally appeared in 2005. They are intended to inform and guide advocacy projects funded by Citizens Information Board in the development of advocacy services. An external evaluation of the programme took place in 2009 and it has made recommendations regarding the shape of advocacy provision for people with disabilities in the future.
The legislation governing the Personal Advocacy Service has not yet been commenced. The Personal Advocacy Service will have its own director and will employ a number of advocates. It is likely to deal with more complex cases, particularly those arising out of the assessment of need process, which began (for those under 5) in 2007. More research is required before the community visitors programme is implemented.
News of projects and developments is featured in the newsletter Speaking Up for Advocacy.
