Advocacy In The Role Of A Community Health Worker Is Crucial. (70 Characters)

This Assignment is part of the leadership and cultural responsiveness paper.

This assignment focuses on advocacy within the role of a community health worker, and considers the health work in a social/ health service work setting.

Complete the table below:

• The first column indicates an issue that a Well Child / Tamariki Ora organisation, service, staff member or an individual person may advocate for.
• In the second column write what type of advocacy it is describing, eg. individual,  familyor whanau, self-advocacy, service user, or systemic
• In the third column write your reason for selecting the type of advocacy you did.
• Addthree other topics or issues yourself and fill in the columns, as you have done earlier.
  
  

Issue	Type of advocacy	Reason
Dad has asked the landlord to erect a gate to stop their children getting on to the shared driveway.	Family	Dad is advocating for his family for their safety.
You are explaining the merits of immunisations for a baby with its Grandmother.
In 1987, Plunket lobbied for increased pool fencing legislation, which eventually resulted in the Swimming Pool Fencing Act as the subsequent amendments to Building Standards.
A client writes a letter complaining about a service she has received from her Well Child Nurse.
Child restraints have become mandatory for all children in cars.
Parents have identified the need for a young mum’s support group to meet regularly in a rural community.

1. Choosean issue that you may advocate for in your role as a Health Worker within your organisation. List four strategies that you may use to undertake the advocacy.

Desired Outcome (what you want to achieve): 

Strategy (Planned approach to achieve the desired outcome)

 2. Choose an issue that a personmay advocate about for themselves (Self-advocacy). List four strategies they may use to undertake the advocacy.

Desired Outcome (what that person wants to achieve for themselves - Self advocacy): 

Strategy (A Planned approach to achieve the desired outcome)

Developing a partnership (working relationship) approach by working together with the client and with other services, we may deliver a collaborative service to clients to improve health outcomes. This approach ensures empowerment to the people we are advocating for and ensures effective advocacy.

The White Paper or the Vulnerable Children’s Act focuses on vulnerable children and describes a number of ways in which different partnerships are needed to address issues related to child safety.

• For this task choose a child health (or social) issuethat requires
• Explain in a minimum of 350 words, the importance of working in partnershipfor both the advocate (Helper), and the people being advocated for (Helpee).

Describe why you think it is important to use a partnership approach when working alongside the person who is being advocated for:

In your reflection consider the following bullet points:

• Reflect on, and describe a situationwhere ‘self-advocacy’ took place

• What impact did self-advocacy have on the situation?

• What effect did self-advocacy have on the self-confidence of the person concerned? 

• How do families / Whanau learn to advocate for themselves?

Select three of the following personal characteristics listed below and briefly describe how they would enable the advocate to be effective;

• Respect

• Genuineness

• Empathy

• Humility

• Quiet enthusiasm

• Personal strength and integrity

• Intellectual and emotional attunement

(Abilities/expertise in creating a working relationship between two or more people)

1. Select a minimum of three of the following interpersonal skills below that you think an advocateneeds in order to form a working relationship with the person requiring advocacy?

Minimal conflict of interest,  supportive,  ongoing commitment,  commitment to partnership,  clear values,  vigour of action,  cultural appropriateness,  active listening, ability to prompt,  explore and summarise  content of discussion,  Empathic responding, enthusing and encouraging,  Enabling change in feelings,  ideas and actions,  Negotiating, Communicating and making use of technical knowledge (not limited too)

2. Describe three interpersonal skills and why they are useful when advocating.  

For this task, consider two (2) issues you might advocate for within your role as a Community Health Worker. Complete the following table:

Advocacy plan one:

1. Who are the people you will advocate for?

2. What is the issue you will advocate about?

3.  What outcome is desired for the child/family (i.e. what do you want to happen?)

4. What strategies could you use to reach the desired outcome (goal)

5. What other agencies could you work with to achieve the desired outcome?

6. What resources would you need to ensure the desired outcome is achieved?

7. How will you monitor the progress of your client?

8. How would you conclude the desired outcome has been achieved?

Advocacy plan two:

1. Who are the people you will advocate for?

2. What is the issue you will advocate about?

3. What outcome is desired for the child/family (i.e. what do you want to happen?)

4. What strategies could you use to reach the desired outcome (goal)

5. What other agencies could you work with to achieve the desired outcome?

6. What resources would you need to ensure the desired outcome is achieved?

7. How will you monitor the progress of your client?

8. How would you conclude the desired outcome has been achieved?

Reflecting on this module, write a minimum of 250 words to describe the key things you have learnt about advocacy and opportunities to advocate within your role (and save this somewhere else for your portfolio).

Task 1: The roles of an advocate

Issue	Type of advocacy	Reason
Dad has asked the landlord to erect a gate to stop their children getting on to the shared driveway.	Family	Dad is advocating for his family for their safety.
You are explaining the merits of immunisations for a baby with its Grandmother.	Service User	Advocating and supporting children good health through immunisations.
In 1987, Plunket lobbied for increased pool fencing legislation, which eventually resulted in the Swimming Pool Fencing Act as the subsequent amendments to Building Standards.	Systemic	Plunket is advocating for the protection of children from the dangers of drowning.
A client writes a letter complaining about a service she has received from her Well Child Nurse.	Service User	Advocating for change to have better outcomes.
Child restraints have become mandatory for all children in cars.	Systemic	Advocating for safe use of seatbelts and child restraints to reduce collision impacts.
Parents have identified the need for a young mum’s support group to meet regularly in a rural community.	Individual	Advocating for support and building of strong relationship for young parents.
1 One family member wants to inherit and sell all the family properties.	Family	A sister is advocating for all family members to have their inheritance.
2 A child is bullied in school.	Individual	A good Samaritan speaks to a teacher about bullying.
3 We are denied entry to the park.	Systemic	Advocating for more hours to visit the park.

1.Lobbying

2.Meetings

3.Information

4.Visits

1. Identify the strategies.
2. State the objectives
3. Develop the action plan
4. Begin implementing action.

Working in partnerships helps in building good relationships between organizations family and friends which is a key vehicle to delivering solutions to the society and communities. Organizations brings in complexity and long term flexible approaches ( Gingerich, et al., 2016). Organizations teach effective management, capacity building and gives partners valuable experiences. Organizations can bring in funding they could give donations .Family and friends can be very supportive and helpful in reaching out to the people being advocated for. Social workers and the staff can give care to the people they are working for. With this kind of partnership the people being advocated for will express their views they will access information and they will also be in a position to defend and safe guard their rights. Social workers connects easily with the community they help client’s to access health services and also health education they reach out to those who are less privileged and cannot make a trip to the health facilities.

In your reflection consider the following bullet points:

• Reflect on, and describe a situationwhere ‘self-advocacy’ took place

• What impact did self-advocacy have on the situation?

• What effect did self-advocacy have on the self-confidence of the person concerned? 

• How do families / Whanau learn to advocate for themselves?

In my daily routine I came across a young girl who was crying along the road I stopped to talk to her. She looked scared and stressed she was in uniform and heading to school. I asked her name she told she is Joy 8 years old, I asked her why she was crying she told me even if she tells me that will not help. I assured her and made her comfortable and pleaded that she tells me what was wrong. She told me she was scared of going to school because the other children were bullying her and efforts to tell the teacher were always futile. I decided to be an advocate for this child I took her to school and spoke to the teacher who promised that she would take action and would also be a friend to the child .After that I made some follow ups and the child looked happy and was always eager to go to school( Ruggie ,2018).

The child self-esteem was restored she could interact easily with the other children.

Start by teaching children early enough how to advocate for themselves. Teach  them advocacy skill that is

.  Let the children know their rights

   Let the children know how to speak for themselves

.  Let the children have a sense of self respect

.  Let the children know when to ask questions and where to get help.

.  Let the children listen to opinions even when their opinions differ from the others.

.  Let the children learn from you as a parent be a good advocate. As an advocate be a Good and a patient listener and always have time to give answers.

   Build team works and groups let the children air their views and challenges they come Across.

   Involve even the very young children in your activities.

• Respect

• Genuineness

• Empathy

• Humility

• Quiet enthusiasm

• Personal strength and integrity

• Intellectual and emotional attunement

1. In social work it is important to have respect when you show respect the person you are advocating for feels safe and they easily open up.

2. Humility humble people have healthy relationships they succeed in all that they do.    

     Advocacy requires that we do things differently and be willing to reach beyond in  In humility you achieve all this.

3. Personal strength and integrity .Honesty is closely associated with honesty. Your integrity helps build your character and gives confidence to those you are advocating for.

Task 2: Advocacy strategy

Minimal conflict of interest,  supportive,  ongoing commitment,  commitment to partnership,  clear values,  vigour of action,  cultural appropriateness,  active listening, ability to prompt,  explore and summarise  content of discussion,  Empathic responding, enthusing and encouraging,  Enabling change in feelings,  ideas and actions,  Negotiating, Communicating and making use of technical knowledge (not limited too)

1. Describe three interpersonal skills and why they are useful when advocating.

For an advocate to influence the economic, political and social decisions. Good communication skills are very important in determining and persuading change

When clients and advocates work together, the results can be easily realised. Team working saves time and money. Team work also allows clients get justice ( Cohen., 2018).

Emotional intelligence helps an advocate to handle the client’s issues and fight for their justice. Most of the people who seek advocate help are usually emotionally traumatised.

 Advocacy plan one:

1. Children

2. Nutrition
   
   
3. Happy healthy children.

Check numbering here i.e. 2 x number 3

4. Use Professional nutritionist.

 Community based nutritionist   

5.  

The Government.

 Feed the children.

Community Members.

6.

Teachers

Materials for learning

7.   Interactions and effective networking

8. When I visit children and see healthy children who can interact freely.

1. Expectant mothers.

2. Wellbeing of the mother and the unborn child.

3. I want the mother to be educated on safe pregnancy the do’s and the don’t’s what should the mother eat when pregnant .is the mother attending antenatal clinics.

4. Have health workers go round and teach the mothers on safe motherhood
   Encourage the mothers to visit hospitals.

5.  

The government

Volunteer social workers

Donors

6.  

A well-equipped health centre

Professional social workers

Mobility

7. Interactions and networking

8. Mothers delivering healthy babies safely.

Advocacy is the action or an activity that speaks of an individual or a group that supports, defends and pleads on behalf of others. To be able to advocate on behalf of others I need to learn about good advocacy practices have a lot of patience and perseverance .Good practices involves preparation, Good communication skills, documentation and follow up.

Preparation is an important aspect in advocacy the more you inform yourself about an issue the better informed you will be to be able to speak on behalf of others. Identify issues that you may want to tackle identify solutions that you may see as workable. Identify someone you can easily work with that is someone with some expertise in the issues you will deal with( Davis, 2017).

Good communication is also an important aspect in advocacy, be clear pay close attention to what people are trying to tell you never interrupt. Ask questions this will give way to having a conversation with someone.

Documentation taking notes and keeping records is a great aid to advocacy process. You have spoken with someone on phone keep records take the name record date and all the information the caller gave.

Follow up advocacy in most cases has no immediate results some issues require persistence in other scenarios following up on issues requires that you involve someone else key thing is that don’t get frustrated or give up advocacy is about negotiations and at times compromising until you settle for the best solution.

References:

Cohen, D., De la Vega, R. and Watson, G. (2017) Advocacy for Social Justice: A Global Action and Reflection Guide. Bloomfield, CT: Kumarian Press.

Davis, R. (2017). "What about Justice?: Toward and Evangelical Perspective on Advocacy in Development." Transformation 26(2): 89-103.

Ruggie, J. G. (2018). Business and Human Rights: The Evolving International Agenda. Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative. Cambridge, MA, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University: 40.

Gingerich, R. and T. Grimsrud, Eds. (2016). Transforming the Powers: Peace, Justice and the Domination System. Minneapolis, MN, Augsburg Fortress.