Independent advocacy under the Care Act 2014 e-learning course

Free!

Under the Care Act 2014 the role of the independent advocate is to support an individual or carer to understand information, express their needs and wishes, secure their rights, represent their interests and support them to obtain the care and support they need.

The Act requires local authorities to involve people in all decisions about their care and support. People should be active partners in the key processes of assessment, care and support planning, review and any enquiries in relation to abuse or neglect. This can mean appointing an independent advocate to support a person's involvement if there isn’t an appropriate person, such as a friend or family member, to fulfil the role. Independent advocacy is also important during a safeguarding enquiry or Safeguarding Adult Review (SAR).

Course content

Screenshot of independent advocacy under the Care Act 2014 e-learning course

Learning outcomes

  • Explain what independent advocacy means under the Care Act 2014
  • Identify when independent advocacy must be offered
  • Understand the concepts of ‘substantial difficulty’ and ‘appropriate person’ and how they apply to supporting a person’s involvement in the process and in decision-making
  • Determine the role of an independent advocate under the Act, and the potential benefits of their involvement
  • Be aware of other statutory advocacy services, and to understand the differences between independent advocacy under the Care Act 2014 and other types of statutory advocacy
  • Recognise what can be expected from independent advocacy services that are commissioned locally

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Frequently asked questions

  • Who is this course for? Open

    All social care staff including:

    • Contact centre staff
    • Staff involved in the assessment, care planning and review processes, as well as safeguarding arrangements
    • Managers of the above
    • Commissioners of independent advocacy
    • Safeguarding teams

  • SCORM compliant (on your LMS) version Open

    If you are interested in hosting this e-learning course on your Learning Management System (LMS) or Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) we are able to help.

    We can provide:

    • Course content: A SCORM 1.2 or 2004 compliant version of the course.
    • Course updates: We will supply you with course updates for an agreed period of time.
    • Custom changes: We can help by making custom changes to the course to meet your specific learning and development needs.

    Contact us to find out more about bringing our course to your learners on your platform.

  • How long does it take to study the course?Open

    This is always a difficult question to answer as no two people are the same. There are a number of factors to consider such as level of knowledge, reading speed and in which order the course is completed.

    For that reason, our estimates are really quite broad. Analytics shows that learners take an average of 90 minutes to study the course.

  • Version history Open

    v1.0 (January 2021): Original release of course.

  • Terms and conditionsOpen

    • An internet connection is required, with the ability to stream video content from Vimeo and YouTube.
    • All material in these resources, including text, graphics, photographs, video and audio is copyright of the Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE), unless otherwise stated.
    • Use of this course is freely permitted, but commercial use is not authorised unless permission is first obtained in writing.

  • Recommended devices / web browsersOpen

    SCIE recommends using the latest versions of device operating software and browsers to access our e-learning courses.

    The minimum technical requirements are (depending on your setup):

    • Chrome: Latest version
    • Firefox: Latest version
    • Microsoft Edge: Latest version
    • Safari: Latest version
    • iOS: 10
    • Android: Marshmallow (6.0)

    This course has been tested on a selection of Apple and Android mobile and tablet devices, running the latest web browsers.

    SCIE cannot take responsibility if the course does not work on your particular device or software.

    Please note: Usage of Microsoft Internet Explorer, including IE 11, is not recommended.