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What is PAT Volunteer Advocacy?

PAT is a small parent-led organisation in the voluntary sector representing parents and their families. PAT does not currently have paid employees. PAT is run entirely by parent volunteers for the benefit of other parents. PAT offers a variety of advocacy approaches and services to enable parents to make informed choices, to express their views and to have full access to their rights, both for themselves and for their families.

PAT seeks to empower parents to advocate for themselves, for each other and on behalf of our constituency of families with disabled children. PAT is supported by an advisory panel comprising professionals with experience as advocates. PAT volunteers are managed by the PAT management committee and trustees and by a volunteer work group co-ordinator. PAT volunteer advocates agree to work according to an Advocacy Charter, the Advocacy Code of Practice and the Advocacy Quality Standards. The Advocacy Charter sets out principles for:- CLARITY OF PURPOSE; PUTTING PEOPLE FIRST; INDEPENDENCE; SUPPORTING ADVOCATES; ACCOUNTABILITY; ACCESSIBILITY; EMPOWERMENT; CONFIDENTIALITY; COMPLAINTS; and EQUAL OPPORTUNITY.

The Role of a Volunteer Advocate.

PAT advocates sometimes work on a one to one basis and sometimes we work with groups of people. Volunteers are often involved in supporting self-advocacy groups.

Typically, we work with an individual on a one to one basis to support them to resolve difficulties or problems, to enable them to take an action, during a change in their life, or whenever there is an identified issue and a point of closure. PAT advocates may have individual partnerships with parents on a long or short term basis.  

A long term advocacy partnership focuses on supporting someone where it is difficult to identify their choices and the emphasis is identifying someone’s preferences by knowing them well and speaking up for them. A short term advocacy partnership is supporting someone during a life change where there is a specific issue that people are asking for help with. We match people together very carefully dependent upon the advocacy issue. Volunteers advocate for someone from their local community.

PAT advocates also facilitate regular parent support groups, parent consultations, parent participation programmes and capacity building activities for parents. This is generally group work, where people have a chance to talk about issues and to develop mutual self-help and solidarity.

 

PAT support groups and work groups frequently invite advisors and service delivery professionals as participants so as to provide opportunities for parents to discuss their own issues with someone who is informed about policy and practitioner issues, who can offer impartial assistance and who is independent either of the council or the NHS primary care trust.

PAT advocates also work with Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council, with Sefton NHS Primary Care Trust and with other service delivery organisations to ensure that people who access these services are happy with service quality, are happy with any proposed changes to the services they receive and in order to ensure that parents have an opportunity to influence all decisions affecting them or their families in accordance with the principles of the Every Disabled Child Matters disabled children’s charter.

PAT advocates also support self-advocacy groups to build their capacity and effectiveness as change agents, to act as a pressure group and to campaign around an agreed platform.

PAT Values and Principles

PAT is committed to the following:

PAT will not introduce volunteers to replace paid staff.PAT volunteers to have a defined place in the structure of the organisation.PAT volunteers are treated equally as part of our team.PAT recognises the individual skills each person brings to the organisation.PAT works to ensure that volunteers feel supported and valued in their role through a comprehensive induction to advocacy, through peer supervision groups and with a named management committee member as a point of contact.PAT encourages volunteers to develop and build on existing skills and knowledge through sharing good practice within PAT advocacy scheme and through regular training opportunities.

Recruitment

PAT seeks to recruit volunteers from a diverse range of backgrounds reflecting the makeup of the local community (see diversity policy). Before recruiting PAT will consider and take advice on how to attract people from a diverse range of backgrounds to the organisation.Each potential volunteer will be invited for an introductory meeting and will be asked for information about themselves which we will record on a PAT volunteer application form.Each person who volunteers for PAT will be asked for references to establish their suitability, experience, integrity and good character. A CRB check will be undertaken for each person who volunteers for PAT and works with vulnerable adults or who has contact with young people. This check will need to be carried out before an advocate begins work. A CRB check is a police check to see if you have a committed an offence that would restrict or prevent you from working with vulnerable adults or young people. However, if you have a criminal record this does not necessarily stop you from volunteering for the scheme.

Induction and Training

Each volunteer will receive information about health and safety and equal opportunities.Each volunteer will receive basic training about advocacy before they enter into advocacy partnerships.A named member of the PAT management committee will be assigned as a supervisor to discuss with the volunteer advocate about any other training needs in supervision.Each volunteer will act as a volunteer advocate on a trial basis of three months to ensure both PAT and the individual volunteer concerned are happy with progress in the advocacy role.All PAT volunteers will be paired with a partner who the PAT supervisor thinks is a good match. The volunteer and partner will meet regularly over a one month period to determine whether the partnership is working well.Volunteers will have a volunteer agreement and role outline which sets out expectations for the individual and support offered by the organisation. This is not a contract. Nothing in the PAT volunteer agreement will have the effect of creating an employer and employee relationship or a contract. PAT volunteer roles are unpaid and are intended to facilitate mutual self-help, support and solidarity within the context of the PAT constitution and the PAT charitable objects.

Support

The named management committee member assigned to each volunteer will be a main point of contact at PAT.Volunteers will have supervision on a one to one basis every four to eight weeks.Volunteers will be invited to team meetings to get together with the other volunteer advocates for peer supervision and the sharing of best practice. The named management committee member will undertake to be available and can be contacted Monday to Friday within working hours (generally 9-5) for telephone support.Volunteers are also welcome to set up personal case-work meetings to discuss any issues, but it is advisable to phone first.Volunteers will be offered a variety of training opportunities and any specific training or development necessary to meet the individual needs of the person they are advocating for.

Expenses

All volunteers will have their travel and other agreed expenses reimbursed at cost. Volunteers working a minimum of five hours per day will be able to claim expenses for lunch subject to an agreed maximum amount, (see expense guidelines for further information).Expenses are paid against production of receipts or offical invoices.HM Revenue and Customs (formerly the Inland Revenue) sets a rate for the reimbursement of driving expenses. Reimbursements are set at a level to take into account depreciation and other running costs as well as fuel.

HM Revenue and Customs approved mileage rates 2006-2007

Cars and vans – 40p per mile for the first 10,000 miles, 25p per mile over 10,000.Motorcycles – 24p per mile.Bicycles – 20p per mile.

Insurance

All volunteers are covered by PAT’s group insurance policy whilst they are engaged in work as a volunteer advocate (see volunteer agreement). It is the responsibility of the volunteers to inform their motor insurance company that they are using their car for voluntary work to ensure that travel to and from advocacy appointments or PAT meetings is covered.

Health and Safety

Each volunteer will be provided with health and safety information.Each volunteer will undertake basic health and safety training.Volunteers will be aware of general health and safety and personal safety.Volunteers will know how to report an accident or incident that they or their partners have.Volunteers will trained to carry out personal risk assessment.

Diversity

Volunteers will be required to undertake training designed to foster an understanding of and a commitment to equal opportunities and diversity, (see diversity policy).

Problem-solving

PAT will try to solve any problems at the earliest possible stage.Partners are able to complain about paid staff, volunteers or the service.Services are able to complain about paid staff, volunteers or the service.PAT operates a defined problem solving and grievance procedure, (see problem-solving and grievance flowcharts for procedure).

Confidentiality

Volunteers are bound by a rigorous confidentiality policy. The policy is mandatory and not optional. This policy will be adhered to and complied with at all times, (see confidentiality policy). At the start of a partnership between an advocate and partner the PAT confidentiality agreement will be introduced and discussed. The PAT confidentiality policy explains the agreement. The advocacy partner must understand that the PAT volunteer advocate is required to abide by the rules of confidentiality before each person is asked to sign the PAT agreement.

Volunteers & Expenses

HM Revenue and Customs (formerly the Inland Revenue) sets a rate for the reimbursement of driving expenses. They are set at a level to take into account depreciation and other running costs as well as fuel.

HM Revenue and Customs approved mileage rates 2006-2007.

Cars and vans – 40p per mile for the first 10,000 miles, 25p per mile over 10,000.Motorcycles – 24p per mile.Bicycles – 20p per mile.

Reimbursement of lunch expenses and expenditure incurred in the course of working as a volunteer is paid on the production of recipts, bills and invoices at cost. This is allowed by HM Revenue and Customs.

Expenses do not constitute a payment, so volunteers can receive reimbursement of reasonable out-of-pocket expenses (any expenses that they have incurred because they are volunteering) without their tax credits or benefits being affected.

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Definition of Voluntary Work

All benefits rulings agree that voluntary work is work for a not-for-profit organisation, or work for someone who is not a member of your family, where only reasonable expenses are paid.

Job Seeker’s Allowance

People on JSA can do as much voluntary work as they want as long as they remain available for and are actively seeking work. This will mean that they will have to show that they are looking for work and applying for jobs where appropriate. As an organisation you will have to give your volunteers some flexibility, as they will need to visit the Job Centre for meetings and to sign on, and will need to attend interviews when they come up. If an individual is volunteering, then they are entitled to 48 hours’ notice if they are asked to attend an interview, and a week’s notice before starting work. These are concessions to the 24 hour notice normally allowed.

Income Support

Volunteering should not affect someone’s Income Support as long as they are not receiving any money other than reimbursement of expenses.

Incapacity Benefit

There is a lot of confusion over Incapacity Benefit because there used to be a rule that individuals in receipt of the benefit could only volunteer for 16 hours a week. This rule no longer applies, although many people are still being told that it does. If you are in receipt of Incapacity Benefit then you can volunteer for as long as you want. People often worry that starting to volunteer will automatically trigger an investigation into their need to claim Incapacity Benefit, but in fact this very rarely happens. Occasionally there is also some confusion about volunteering and ‘permitted work’ (similar to the old ‘therapeutic earnings’). The permitted work rule applies only to paid work and should not affect volunteers. Claimants should be entitled to volunteer without it being recognised as permitted work.

Disability Living Allowance

DLA is an allowance paid in acknowledgement of the fact that life for someone with a disability may be more expensive – for instance, someone with mobility problems may be reliant on taxis. Volunteering will not affect whether an individual receives this benefit or not.

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