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A Voice of Their Own: A Toolbox of Ideas and Information for Non-instructed Advocacy
Annie Lawton, BILD Publications
ISBN 190408298X, £16 plus p&p

STAR RATING: 5/5

Annie Lawton has pieced together a collection of ideas and resources which will stand any person in the learning difficulties field in good stead, whether professional, parent, relative or friend, writes Matt Dore.

It is set out in four clear sections:advocacy, what advocacy means, communication, and choice and decision-making. Focusing mainly on people with non-verbal communication needs, the author stresses the need for a person-centred approach to advocacy. This means getting alongside a person and finding out what makes them tick, what interests them and what excites them. It is only in getting to know a person that good advocacy can flourish.

It is written in a very accessible, jargon-free manner with well-chosen examples of good practice. The booklist and resources sections are what make the book so useful, as it will help the reader to look at other work.

Matt Dore works with people who have learning difficulties in Hampshire