COURSE OVERVIEW:

Welcome to the course on Advocacy and Representation in Community Services. This course is designed to provide you with the comprehensive knowledge and skills needed to effectively advocate and represent clients within the community services and health industries. By the end of this course, you will be equipped to navigate legal and ethical considerations, employ various advocacy strategies, and engage in effective community consultation and decision-making processes.

We begin by exploring the legal and ethical considerations inherent in advocacy work. Understanding these considerations is essential for ensuring that advocacy efforts are conducted in a manner that respects the rights and dignity of clients and aligns with organisational and legislative guidelines.

Next, we delve into the different types of advocacy, including individual and group advocacy, and the specific functions each type serves. This section will also cover how advocacy differs from making decisions on behalf of a client or service provider, highlighting the importance of empowering clients through representation.

Types of community consultation and decision-making processes are crucial for effective advocacy. You will learn about various methods for engaging with communities and stakeholders to gather input, build consensus, and make informed decisions that reflect the needs and priorities of those you represent.

Understanding industry and government processes and culture is vital for navigating the broader context in which advocacy occurs. This section will cover the nature and structure of the community services and health industries, as well as relevant processes and systems that support organisational goals and objectives.

Models of support and negotiation are essential tools for advocates. We will explore different models and techniques for negotiating on behalf of clients, building strategic alliances, and facilitating collaborative planning and action.

Processes and systems to support advocacy, including electronic campaigning, are increasingly important in the digital age. You will learn how to leverage these tools to enhance advocacy efforts, reach wider audiences, and achieve organisational objectives.

Representation and advocacy require distinct skills and processes. This section will cover the roles, processes, and conditions of effective representation in consultation with individuals and key groups, ensuring that advocacy efforts are aligned with client needs and organisational priorities.

Identifying and seeking the support of key people and developing strategic alliances are crucial for successful advocacy. You will learn how to build these relationships and leverage them to promote and represent identified interests effectively.

Reporting, accountability, and evaluation are integral to the advocacy process. This section will cover how to determine and implement requirements for these activities, ensuring that advocacy efforts are transparent, accountable, and continuously improved based on feedback and outcomes.

Identifying relevant interests and concerns to be pursued in accordance with organisational objectives is a key step in advocacy. You will learn how to undertake work to provide a framework for pursuing these interests and create opportunities to reflect, promote, and represent them.

Determining the potential impact of developments and decisions on objectives and priorities is essential for effective advocacy. You will learn how to measure success, provide progress and other reports, and communicate and promote the purpose and objectives of advocacy efforts.

Promoting and facilitating collaborative planning and action involves identifying potential areas of conflict and implementing strategies to address them. This section will cover how to work with organising committees and boards of management to maximise the effectiveness of advocacy efforts.

Analysing actual work outcomes and documenting and reporting against agreed objectives and priorities are crucial for evaluating the success of advocacy efforts. You will learn how to implement adjustments to strategy based on these evaluations to enhance future advocacy efforts.

Finally, you will provide formal advocacy and representation services to two individual clients or client groups, evaluating the effectiveness of the strategies used. This practical application will ensure that you are prepared to deliver high-quality advocacy services that make a meaningful impact.

By the end of this course, you will have a thorough understanding of how to conduct effective advocacy and representation, ensuring that you can support and empower clients within the community services and health industries.

This course is designed to align with the content outlined in the Nationally Recognised Unit of Competency CHCADV002.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

By the end of this course, you will be able to understand the following topics:

Section A: Knowledge

·       Legal and ethical considerations

·       Types of advocacy

·       Functions of advocacy

·       Types of community consultation and decision-making processes

·       industry and government processes and culture

·       Models of support and negotiation

·       Nature and structure of the community services and health industries

·       Processes and structures relevant to organisation goals and objectives or work role

·       Processes and systems to support advocacy, including electronic campaigning

·       How representation and advocacy are different to decision-making on behalf of a client or a service provider

·       Processes of both individual advocacy and group advocacy

Section B: Performance Tasks

·       Identify role, processes and conditions of representation in consultation with individuals and key groups

·       Identify and seek the support of key people and develop strategic alliances

·       Determine and implement requirements for reporting, accountability and evaluation

·       Identify relevant interests and concerns to be pursued in accordance with organisation objectives and priorities

·       Undertake work to provide a framework for pursuing promotion of relevant interests

·       Create and respond to opportunities to reflect, promote and represent identified interests

·       Determine the potential impact developments and decisions will have on objectives and priorities and how success will be measured

·       Provide progress and other reports and feedback to key people according to organisation requirements

·       Communicate and promote purpose and objectives

·       Promote and facilitate collaborative planning and action

·       Identify potential areas of conflict and implement strategies to address them

·       Undertake appropriate work with organising committees and board of management to maximise effectiveness

·       Analyse actual work outcomes and document and report against agreed objectives and priorities

·       Implement adjustments to strategy according to the evaluation

·       Provide formal advocacy and representation services to 2 individual clients or client groups and evaluated the effectiveness of strategies used

COURSE DURATION:

The typical duration of this course is approximately 2-3 hours to complete. Your enrolment is Valid for 12 Months. Start anytime and study at your own pace.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

You must have access to a computer or any mobile device with Adobe Acrobat Reader (free PDF Viewer) installed, to complete this course.

COURSE DELIVERY:

Purchase and download course content.

ASSESSMENT:

A simple 10-question true or false quiz with Unlimited Submission Attempts.

CERTIFICATION:

Upon course completion, you will receive a customised digital “Certificate of Completion”.