Advocacy Skills for Health and Social Care Professionals

Citation

Bateman, N. (2001), "Advocacy Skills for Health and Social Care Professionals", Health Education, Vol. 101 No. 4, pp. 187-188. https://doi.org/10.1108/he.2001.101.4.187.2

For nearly two decades now those engaged in health education and health promotion have been exhorted to be advocates for health and for their clients, and most professionals working in health or social care will be required to act as advocates at some time or another. However, little has been written on what this means in practice, and many professionals find the concept of advocacy mysterious, off‐putting and daunting. The book seeks to demystify the process of advocacy, and to show that it involves skills which ordinary people doing ordinary jobs employ every day to help others reach their potential, by, for example, interviewing and negotiating successfully. The area is hardly a neutral one – it can be an ethical and occupational minefield, and those who get involved in it need to be prepared for the difficult dilemmas and inevitable opposition they will face. The book therefore gives guidance on ethical implications and advice on litigation and legal matters. The book is highly practical, clearly set out and easy to read, with plenty of case studies and self‐completion exercises. It also has some theoretical content, providing a framework and structure for advocacy. It is a very helpful and highly readable book, which has been specifically written for those in the health and social care professions. It will be of interest to those working in many different settings, including social workers, nurses, advice workers, and housing officials, to name but a few.