Non-statutory advocacy supports people to have their voice heard across a wide range of issues and events in their life.
Our innovative service in Coventry — for autistic people and people with learning disabilities aged 17 or over who aren’t eligible for statutory advocacy — meets people where they are, offering a one-to-one service in a rich ecosystem of other support proven to change people’s lives for good.
Image by Ryunosuke Kikuno in Unsplash
Our advocate Lynn Donovan supports each person to identify clear goals they can work towards together. She helps build their self-advocacy skills, resilience and hope — while giving the person all of the relevant information to make their own decisions.
With confidence and control, people lead the lives they want — that’s where stronger futures begin. Here, we share Bengy’s story to illustrate this work in practice.
Bengy’s story
When the government announced proposed changes to disability benefits last Spring, Bengy was overwhelmed by how the changes could impact his life. Pressure to prepare all of the necessary paperwork and evidence in a short amount of time felt all consuming.
With Lynn’s support, Bengy took steps to organise what was required to meet the various application deadlines into manageable chunks — starting with accurate information from the government helpline.
From there, Lynn helped Bengy apply to migrate his benefits over to Universal Credit — before moving on to his equally time sensitive Personal Independence Payment (PIP) review.
Negative experiences with the Department of Work and Pensions from Bengy’s past risked holding him back from being proactive in the here and now, but Lynn helped allay those fears so Bengy could move forward without delay.
The idea of sharing details of diagnoses and conditions in benefits applications can be very different to reality. Reflecting on past and present daily struggles takes a toll on a person’s wellbeing.
Image by Ben Morelan on Unsplash.
Lynn listened to and supported Bengy throughout this process, including visiting a benefits advisor who explained how advance payments could run alongside monthly payments to help Bengy bridge the gap to meet his financial commitments.
Then Bengy received the best news he could have hoped for; both his Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payments had been awarded at the expected rate.
Aside from relief, Bengy was now also feeling more confident to advocate for his own needs in the future — including adopting a new method from Lynn of keeping records of who he speaks to and when, and the outcome of each contact.
Non-statutory advocacy is just a small part in Bengy’s journey as he continues to campaign alongside other people in the city to make positive change for disabled people.
Bengy told Lynn he felt her “kind and thoughtful” approach to working with him made him feel understood and respected, which helped make the process easier and more likely to achieve the outcome he wanted.
At Grapevine, we’ve been seeing people’s strengths, ideas and potential — not just people as problems to be solved — for over 30 years.
When people are given the right support, connections and opportunities, they don’t just cope. They thrive.
Non-statutory advocacy in Coventry is funded by the Henry Smith Foundation until 31 May.
Government calls for evidence in its review of Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
The government has launched the Timms Review to ensure that Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is “fair and fit for the future in a changing world, and helps support disabled people to achieve better health, higher living standards and greater independence, including through employment.”
The Call for Evidence gathers feedback and insight to inform the Review.
It is administered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on behalf of the Timms Review steering group. The steering group is keen to hear from organisations and individuals who have information that is relevant to the Review.
