Claire Morgan 10/03/2025 Joe's Soapbox

In January the Board of All Wales People First spoke about our next MIRROR Strategy (Business Plan).

It was signed off by the National Council last December.

We also looked at recommendations made by an Advocacy Report produced by the ADSS (Associated Directors of Social Services).

The report was produced by Practice Solutions. All Wales People First were also funded to take part in the work.

The report is confidential and not published yet. That means we can’t share it with members yet.

Our Board discussed the ADSS report and the feedback given at two strategy days held in North and South Wales in October 2023.

It is very clear that all forms of advocacy face an uncertain future.

Funding challenges across Wales and an increase in demand for crisis advocacy is putting a big strain on advocacy.

As yet we don’t know when the ADSS Advocacy report commissioned by the Welsh Government will be published.

We do not know what will or won’t be funded.

All forms of Advocacy are incredibly important for people with learning disabilities.

Especially right now when difficult decisions are being made that affect the lives of people with learning disabilities.

Self-advocacy is particularly under threat in my opinion.

This is because there isn’t statutory funding for self-advocacy.

Statutory means that it has to be provided by law.

As funds tighten and authorities can only afford to do what they can afford, there is a real danger we could lose self-advocacy.

Our Board of Directors and I feel it is important that self-advocacy groups in Wales come together to talk about the future of self-advocacy.

We need to see if we can work together better and share ideas on how we can make the case for the future of self-advocacy funding.

We may be calling on groups soon to get your views and to get everyone together for that chat.

In the meantime I have been speaking to various advocacy providers in Wales who also share our concerns.

Earlier this year Social Finance along with the Henry Smith Foundation published research on the state of advocacy in the United Kingdom. They made the case for why Advocacy is important.

All Wales People First and some of the local self-advocacy groups in Wales were part of this work.

I sent the Henry Smith report to the Welsh Government.

This could help our cause and is something we could build on for the future.

We are facing very uncertain times and All Wales People First are monitoring the situation.

It is so important that people with learning disabilities don’t lose their voice.

Without a voice we are not active and equal citizens.

Without a voice we cannot work in true co-production.

Without a voice the Social Services and Wellbeing (Wales) Act and other aspirational legislation in Wales will not succeed for people with learning disabilities.

Having a voice is very important.

We need to keep fighting for its existence.

Vicory for self-advocacy.