OPAAL UK is the Older People’s Advocacy Alliance.

We are the only national strategic organisation throughout the United Kingdom promoting independent advocacy with older people. We believe we are unique, with a member base that focuses on independent advocacy services for older people across the UK. We have circa 200 members: this figure represents advocacy schemes, national organisations with an interest in advocacy e.g. Help the Aged and Age Concern England, and a small number of individuals, mostly academics and older activists.

our vision A United Kingdom where all older people have access to high quality independent advocacy provision.

our mission To give the strategic lead on the development of independent advocacy with older people. We want to better service older people, their advocates and carers. We also want to influence the provision of independent advocacy for all older people, particularly those who are most vulnerable. We aim to do this by being the premier national organisation focussing on the provision of high quality independent advocacy for older people.

OPAAL believes that there are specific circumstances where all individuals must have a right to the support of an independent advocate to ensure that their own interests and preferences are acknowledged and addressed. These services must be available to all older people who are: At the point of discharge from hospital Directly affected by a change in the management or running of their care service At the point of accessing continuing care and community care services, and At all reviews affecting care services in hospital and in the community OPAAL’s definition of advocacy is: ‘A one-to-one partnership between a trained, independent advocate and an older person who needs support in order to secure or exercise their rights, choices and interests.’ strategic priorities 1. Asserting the rights of older individuals to independent advocacy. 2. Challenging commissioners to establish sustainable funding regimes to provide independent advocacy for older people. 3. Developing the evidence base for independent advocacy, in a way that blends users experience with it’s impact on professional practice, and on financial considerations 4. Innovate in the provision and development of independent advocacy services. current work We are extending our national programmes to serve more older people, particularly those who are excluded and from minority ethnic communities. With these strategic priorities in mind we have identified eight specific areas for development: 1. We are using the experiences of older people to inform and shape policy and practice in the future 2. We are working with other national organisations across the United Kingdom committed to improving independent advocacy services with older people 3. We are supporting the development of the National Advocacy Consortium UK, a national hub linking local, regional and national networks to better serve advocates 4. We are enabling older users of independent advocacy to establish a voice and presence of their own in its development 5. We are making the case for independent advocacy and extra funding with key partners 6. We are raising awareness of our organisation, independent advocacy and our work with commissioners 7. We are identifying new ways to generate income through the projects that we currently offer and by developing new projects 8. We are building a strong organisation, investing in staff and trustees. reaching out: our national programme In essence we are trying to reach all those that work to improve the lives of older people throughout the UK. It goes without saying that we are reaching out to older people to work with us, however we are also reaching out both to existing and new colleagues and organisations. With the National Working Group project we are reaching colleagues in central and local government, large NGO’s, older people’s organisations and many national agencies in all four nations of the UK to facilitate closer more collaborative working practices. To date we have identified 50 organisations willing to work with us to improve advocacy services to older people. With the Benchmarking Project we are reaching out to advocates working in the field, learning about what their work and how we can all work more consistently together to improve practice and benefit older people. With the South West project we are reaching into care homes to find older people and their advocates and learn about the exact nature of the provision in that region and ultimately how we can improve access to high quality services for all those who need them. We are certainly reaching out to commissioners undertaking cutting edge research to establish how best to support commissioners, also working in partnership with advocacy networks to develop guidelines that make real sense to people not used to concepts like independence or advocacy let alone the two put together…. Finally we are going back to our roots, reaching out to groups of older people using advocacy services, exploring creative innovative ways in which we can develop networks that really work for different groups of older people. Membership of OPAAL is inclusive and open to all who have a real interest in independent advocacy with older people. what older people say about advocates/advocacy “The advocate was a friend at my elbow. The advocate steadied my ship against their armada. At one stage he [the advocate] stopped the meeting in concern for my well-being. He was a prop – a stabilising influence ... It helped with a feeling of not being isolated.” (Wright, OPAAL, 2007)  “The advocate is there alongside the older person. They’re in their shoes, so to speak, and standing up for their rights. The advocate takes the time to check what the older person really wants and explains the options and things happening around them in a way that can be fully understood … sometimes the advocate has to say things to the hospital staff that shouldn’t have to be said.” (OPAAL/Help the Aged, 2002) “Information is what you need or want to know; advice is being guided on how to go about things; advocacy is a way of acting on that information and advice to get things done.” (Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 2005) "I got a lot of my confidence back, I don't take any nonsense now!". (Advocacy user MARD OPAAL 2006) If you would like to join us or know more about any of our national projects or simply our work in general then please do contact us at Parkfield House, 64 Princes Road, Hartshill, Stoke on Trent, ST4 7JL, tel 01543 490861, Email: kathryn.parson@btinternet.com www.opaal.org.uk