Introduction
Advocacy apprehends active support for oneself or of another so that actions are taken on individual requirements. Every person requires recognition and worth despite class, gender, or health status. Advocacy concentrates on an individual’s objectives and goals besides being concerned with people’s respect, rights, and decision-making process on direct and indirect problems. The process of advocacy involves speaking, acting, or writing arguments in support of an action that defends human rights. Any prejudgment directed to persons with disabilities is a lack of respect in society. The notion of this essay is to explore the origin, history, types, and principles of advocacy and its application to the Ireland community.
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History of advocacy
Advocacy originated during an attempt to solve the issues of poverty, its causes, and consequences in the world. Addressing this problem was only possible through interventions to the poor by the charity organizations. Social work in Ireland began in the late 1770s when a legislative speaker, Grattan strongly argued out for the removal of limitations on Ireland’s rights to take part in the British Empire trade (Timberlake, 2012, Pp. 25-40). He aimed at defending society against constitutional and commercial restrictions. Later, Grattan inspired activists to demand the elimination of the existing trade regulations and to impose the government to amend the laws. The practice continued to exist in the Trade Unions and legal systems.
According to Bemak, Chung, and Pedersen (2003, p.140), the ancient social workers supported the need for advocacy in stimulating a series of deficiencies and scheme on differences. A movement that encouraged settlers arose in the nineteenth century, which tried to address ancient problems especially inadequate resources among the poor. The settlement movement organized youth programs and sponsored active social work for the poor. It marked the beginning of meaningful advocacy. The poor man’s lawyer system began in 1891 at Mansfield Settlement and extended to other regions (Stein, 2004, pp. 556-600). The movement launched a campaign demanding the government support in the provision of legally authorized services. Today, social work practice taking place involves campaigning association including the Claimants Union where individuals collectively organize a group to make a general decision about certain issues.
Types of advocacy
There are various types of advocacy, which include group, statutory, political, citizen, specialist, peer, and self-advocacy (Nolan, 2008, p. 40). Group advocacy is concerned with the issue of an organization or group of people. Those who make personal decisions, admit responsibilities and speak out for their rights practice self-advocacy. Citizen activism is when persons volunteer to assist people who are unable to defend themselves such as those with mental disabilities by totally being independent of individuals who give services like Age Action Ireland for old people. Also, statutory and specialist advocacy refers to a situation where one is legally selected to stand in for another. It comprises trained lawyers and therefore, is the best method to fight for the health demand of clients. The nation can also appoint public workers like the National disability Authority to advocate for people with various challenges. Lastly, family advocates address issues that concern peers and family members.
Principles of advocacy
The nation of Ireland adopted several principles of advocacy to facilitate public services that include empowerment, autonomy, social justice, citizenship, and social inclusion (Nolan, 2008, p. 40). Empowerment is the ability to work with others by encouraging them to be creative, active, and liberated to their responsibilities. This principle eliminates inequality of power and promotes sharing regarding collective activities and power. Social justice defies discrimination and oppression and stimulates the growth of a society that values the rights of every individual. It protects opportunities, social benefits, obligations, and rights of persons. Autonomy is a principle that supports people to take control of their responsibilities and take part in personal choices.
Advocates work to protect the privileges and rights of every citizen hence, assist to minimize barriers encountered by individuals with challenges. Social inclusion promotes complete participation for vulnerable individuals since everyone poses equal worth and value. Social exclusion affects the aged, refugees, asylum seekers, and people with disabilities by denying them meaningful choices. In Irish society, people with disabilities encounter exclusion in decision-making, segregation, negative attitudes, and limited privileges like employment opportunities. The principle of social work encourages clear communication, coordination, trust, and honesty between clients and advocates.
Reasons for advocacy
Advocacy is very crucial despite being rampant. The Society of Ireland and other countries in the world experience various development in the fight for justice, marginalization, seclusions, rights of individuals with disabilities, and misrepresentations. Supporters assist in sanctioning the community in accessing their needs. It encourages the attempt to inculcate self-confidence, accountability, and responsibility to individuals or organizations for the rebuilding of openness in the decision-making process and transparency and help people to exercise self-control. It can also work to alter the attitude of community members in regards to certain misconceptions. (Timberlake, 2012, Pp. 25-40). In fact, the process helps individuals to get access to community resources and knowledge and protect people’s rights including the opportunity to speak out opinions in public.
Advocacy is necessary for situations that demand public or personal assistance. The practice is vital in public health conditions such as when underaged individuals face illegal limitations in rehabilitation centers and prisons (Hickey, 2014, pp. 160). Clinical situations both in Ireland and everywhere in the world require social workers especially when health professionals conduct a clinical procedure on patients without their informed consent. Another case is child discrimination in society such as neglect, abuse, or any unauthorized actions that infringe on their rights. Support is crucial when checking damaged laws like the physical penalty for children and in situations when a certain community faces denial to access health services.
There are many people with mental illnesses locked in prisons and jails rather than getting appropriate medical care. Epilepsy is a condition of mental illness that can result from multiple sclerosis, brain tumors, trauma, genetic, or diseases like stroke meningitis. The lack of proper treatment in the correction institutions exposes them to abominable and promotes dangerous actions of this population in the society. They often become victims of drug abuse, sexual assault, suicides, and other aggressive behavior such as violence.
Social workers should be concerned with the rights of patients with mental problems and fight for the need to provide them with better health services than jailing them. For instance, the case of Marija, a woman who struggled with a mental complication for a long period. Her condition became work after spending much time in a locked room until Carol; a mental expert approached and listen to her side of view. She advocated for Marija’s opinion in her vulnerable and powerless situation. The story indicates that for advocacy to be successful, they should be many approaches to a critical situation that involve monitoring and evaluating social work. Negotiating and speaking out for people with mental disabilities was the major role played by Carol as a social worker.
Normalization process theory
Normalization process theory is a sociological aspect that explains the dynamics of implanting, instigating, and assimilating composite intervention. It focuses on embedding evolving technologies in health care services. The theory gives an account of changes that take place during a shift from a therapeutic approach to a personal-centered approach. The structure of the normalization procedure consists of dynamic, planned, and contingent interaction between objects, agents, or context (Hickey, 2014, pp. 160). Actors refer to those who meet one other in health care; context is organizational and physical that organize and resource individuals, while objects are recognized authorized methods in which procrastination of information takes place. NPT assists individuals to disassemble the social procedures that are at work when experiencing a new set of performance. It relates to a set of constructs that is planned information that explains processes in human life.
Role of social workers
Social workers have the responsibility of assisting groups, people, and families to adapt to the difficult situation in their life to change their patient’s lives. They perform this process by educating them on mechanisms and skills they might help them during the recovery period. Advocates also provide straight counseling services to patients. In most cases, communal personnel serve as links between dissimilar institutions and coordinate with health practitioners to promote the wellness of patients. They also address permitted problems that include helping in providing testimony and hearing connected to clients. Policy growth, research, and advocacy of service is another role of social workers. Also, they keep and prepare records and reports.
The field of social work comprises of several industries and specialization that requires professionals to pursue the foundations of services such as flexibility, empathy, respect, and persistence in different situations. They are expected to aid with problems, which originate from disability, trauma, mental or emotional issues, poverty, abuse, acute or chronic sicknesses, and addictions. They occur in three groups depending on their professional fields where they deal with public health, child, family, and institutions, and the mental health workforce is those who help patients suffering from unhealthy basic methods.
Social workers also collaborate with other health experts to assess the physical and medical status and needs of patients. They advocate for them in resolving crises through proper evaluation, monitoring, keeping reports of patient’s progress depending on their recovery objectives (Hickey, 2014, pp. 160). Another role they play is to refer family or clients to community assets to provide them financial assistance, education, job, housing, legal aid, and to help them throughout the recovery process. Patients’ supporters review health records or interviews to find out environmental obstructions to their recovery process. They investigate neglect cases and take legal actions in cases of child abuse or assault. Lastly, they organize discharge plans from hospitals to home care services and assign support groups to provide home-based counseling and appropriate educations.
Equality Act
The equality act refers to the most vital piece of parity legislation that streamlines, simplifies, and strengthens laws. The act sets a standard for individuals who provide public workers to treat the public with respect and dignity. It enables workers to understand their responsibilities and offers people protection from biased discriminations. Employment and equal pay Codes of Practice provide a clear explanation of the necessities in the Act to apply authorized concepts in every situation (Dalrymple, 2003, pp. 1048). The act helps tribunal and courts, which require applying the laws in interpreting the legislation and assist advisers, lawyers, human resources, and trade unions. Employment equality guidance supports workers’ right to equality regarding flexibility, payments, training, management, promotion, transfer, development, and benefits.
The legislation, constitution, and complainants Mechanism advocacy in Ireland relies on the background of equivalent rights for every individual and promotes laws. The Bill of Rights in the constitution of Irish offers persons political and civil support and relies on gratitude in the legislation of the rights and role of the social workers (Ratts, DeKruyf, and Chen-Hayes, 2007, pp. 90-97). The mandate guarantees several rights and equality to citizens especially asylum families who need exile orders. In Ireland, the legislations currently uphold social welfare and employment rights, and equality measures discernment in vocational teaching, employment, cooperative agreements, provision, and advertising.
Disability Act of 2005
It defines advocacy as services in which the vulnerable and the needy have their interest represented for assistance. Advocacy supports persons with disabilities to adapt meaningful lives by encouraging them to speak out their views. Personal advocacy is under the management of the Citizen Information Board as suggested by the Disability Act in Ireland. According to the board, the primary functions of an advocate are representing the public in need assessment, social services, and acts as appealing professionals to courts. The UN provides a convention for the moral consideration of individuals with disabilities in Ireland and globally (Timberlake, 2012, Pp. 25-40). The movement protest that persons with challenges have legal rights to lead an independent life in society. Advocacy is the primary technique for the mechanical living movement that enhances independence among disabled people. It also ensures that this group has similar human rights as the normal population.
Conclusion
Advocacy is very vital in the achievement of humanity and equality in Ireland and internationally. The Irish constitution focuses less on the recognition of social work in regards to the formation of policies and funding. Therefore, there is a need for the state of Ireland to facilitate crucial changes by appealing movements such as the National Disability Authority and those concerned with the Mental Hospitals, in the strengthening and founding of the rules governing advocacy in general especially the support for the disabilities
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