Advocacy in Action

 Advocacy in Action
 Four Volume Set, John Tufail and Kate Lyon
 Jessica Kingsley Publishers
 ISBN: 9781843104742,
 £45

 Star rating: 5/5

New and experienced advocates and service users can quickly benefit from reviewing this easy-to-read yet comprehensive short series, writes Russell Holland. There are four volumes, each between 50 to a100 pages, entitled: Introducing Advocacy Rules and Standards Listen Up! Speak Up! and Advocacy in Action.

The authors have the rare ability of striking just the right balance between keeping things simple while covering all of the key topics without being patronising.

The format is very easy to follow, well spaced out and principles are illustrated with basic pictures. Chapters can be read individually and include real life examples with suggested questions for discussion.

The series would make an excellent supplement to volunteer training sessions or be useful pre-reading for those new to advocacy before attending training. More experienced practitioners will also benefit from reviewing an individual chapter before working with service users to obtain a quick refresher of the key principles.

Introducing Advocacy covers the need for, and nature of, the different types of advocacy from a social inclusion viewpoint.

The Rules and Standards volume covers issues such as confidentiality and risk assessment. Management committee members would find this useful for developing policies.

Listen Up! Speak Up! encourages effective participation in meetings by speaking up, but neatly combines this with the need to respect and listen to other people’s views. It would be beneficial for service users to read this book and discuss with staff and volunteers to promote user-driven services.

The final volume covers practical points of advocacy.

It’s great to read a series which leaves you feeling that you understand the complexities and subtleties of advocacy without having to work hard.

Russell Holland is with the Bar Pro Bono Unit