Guidelines and Code of Practice for Volunteer Citizen AdvocatesTo ensure that Dundee Citizen Advocacy is able to work efficiently and effectively we must understand the commitment and responsibilities involved.These are the commitments which we expect you to make when you become accepted as a volunteer Citizen Advocate for DIAS and the commitments that we make to help and support that role.
- Represent your partner's interests if they were your own.
- Enable your partner to act independently whenever possible.
- Deal promptly and efficiently with your partner's requests without raising their expectations about what they can hope to achieve.
- Maintain professional standards in your relationship with your partner. This means reliability, dependability and pride in your work.
- Ensure that you do not accept financial rewards from your partner.
ConfidentialityYou must protect and maintain the confidentiality of all clients within the service. No outside contact should be made concerning your partner without their prior knowledge and consent.In extreme circumstances, where their safety and wellbeing, or that of another person is involved it may be necessary for you to break this confidentiality. This should be discussed with the Advocacy Worker.
You will be expected to:
- Attend an initial training course in advocacy skills.
- Attend on-going training support and team meetings as required, seek advice and accept supervision from the Advocacy worker.
- Discuss casework with the Advocacy Worker as appropriate and when necessary. Any difficulties or uncertainties which you have as an advocate must be discussed with the Advocacy Worker or with the line manager who are there to support you.
Working with your partner
Where possible the Advocacy Worker will match clients sympathetically with advocates, bearing in mind the Advocate's experience, interests and time commitment.However we recognize that there may be times when personalities will clash or when a conflict of interests arises and you feel genuinely unable to represent someone effectively.
Should this occur, please advise the Advocacy Worker who will allocate your partner to a new Advocate where appropriate.
- Keep clear and accurate records.
- Keep these records confidential and under secure conditions.
- Make prompt and accurate returns of information as required.
Absences and Resignations
It would be very helpful if you could give as much notice as possible to the Advocacy worker of any absence, holidays, sickness, etc.in order that your partner continues to get help and to assist the Advocacy Worker in planning. If you decide not to continue as an Advocate we would appreciate as much notice as possible.