Advocacy provision in Wales increasing, finds report

Advocacy provision – where older people are supported to access services like utilities, health, housing and benefits advice – is on the increase in Wales, according to research by Age Cymru.

Advocacy helps older people to have their views, wishes and feelings heard when important decisions are being made about their lives.

Age Cymru found that since 2020 there has been a increase in the number of advocacy services for older people, with the number of paid and volunteer advocates quadrupling to approximately 132 individuals across Wales.

It also found the total number of people supported across all services in Wales over the last 12 months rose by 16% to 19,592.

Advocacy Services specifically funded for older people now exist in all 22 local authority areas in Wales compared to just 15 in 2020.

Louise Hughes, who heads up the charity’s Advocacy project, says: ‘We’re delighted with the findings showing a significant increase in advocacy provision as this means that more, potentially vulnerable older people, are getting access to the services and opportunities they need to live a later life of dignity and well being.

‘However, there is still a lot of work to do, particularly with raising awareness of advocacy services amongst potential beneficiaries and their families. We also need to raise awareness of advocacy services amongst social workers and health professionals through training and promotion, so they will become more likely to refer their clients to an advocacy service.’

In related news, more than half a million people are now waiting for adult social care assessments, reviews or care support to begin, finds a new report from the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS).

The data suggests more than six in 10 councils are having to prioritise assessments and are only able to respond to people where abuse or neglect is highlighted, for hospital discharge or after a temporary period of residential care to support recovery and reablement.

Photo by Nani Chavez