Asist guide:

Reach Speaking Up Project

Speak up about something and

see if you can get things done.

My life

clear communication

Advocacy
Everyone has a right to be treated as an
individual and valued for who they are.
This means seeing someone as a person
not a disability or condition.
Everyone should have a say in their lives
and have influence over how they live.
This means having choices, support and
control to make decisions.
Everyone should be able to experience
independence in their lives.

My life

This means having a chance to speak up

about what they want in life.
Everyone should have equal opportunities
in life and be treated with respect.
asist

This means being included, not left out of

things because of a disability or condition.
Advocacy supports rights for everyone.

Reach lots of people

Reach
Reach supports people in Stoke-on-Trent
and Staffordshire to speak up.
Reach is part of Asist advocacy services
in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.
Staffordshire
and
Stoke-on-Trent

Reach was set up in 2000 to support

adults with learning disabilities to speak up
for themselves and for others.
In Stoke-on-Trent we support adults with
learning disabilities to speak up together.
In Staffordshire we have started working
with young people and adults with
learning disabilities and/or autism.
We have also started working with
young people aged 14 to 24 with special
educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
People speak up about their rights and
share their views and experiences.
We work together to make sure that
every persons voice counts.

My advocate works for me, with me, about me.

Speaking up together in Staffordshire

We work in Staffordshire with

people with learning disabilities
people with autistic spectrum conditions
young people with special
educational needs and disabilities
People speak up about rights and
important issues in their lives
hopes and plans for the future
My life

People raise awareness and campaign

Reach lots of people

for equal rights and opportunities

to be valued members of communities

Reach
people
without
People share
views about
plans

words

All Ages Disability Strategy

changes to services and support

Reach shared goals

People check up on

local health and social care services

quality of services and support

Reach decisions together

Reach high standards

Aims - what Reach do

1. Speaking up together about peoples

rights and helping to raise awareness.

Parliament

2. Checking how services are working

for people and what needs to change.

3. Sharing views about local services

and issues that affect peoples lives.

4. Raising issues and asking questions on

behalf of people in the local area.

My life

5. Working together in partnership with

organisations, planning for the future.

If we didnt take part we wouldnt make things better.

How Reach works

Group advocacy
We arrange meetings and events for
people to speak up together, talk about
issues, share opinions and ideas.
Outcomes (the difference this makes):
We share views and feedback to help
make changes in peoples lives.
Partnership working
We work in partnership with local councils,
health services, universities and voluntary
organisations to plan and check services,
produce resources and deliver training.
Outcomes (the difference this makes):
We help people to find out what living
with a condition or disability means.
Clear information
We make clear information posters,
Reach
lots of guides,
people
leaflets, fact sheets,
information
presentations, reports and resources.

Outcomes (the difference this makes):

We share information
helps people
Reachthat
people
withouttoword
get involved and feel included.

Reach shared goals

Working together (co-production)

A good group is
A good group is when
people are in charge of

when people are

working together and
taking turns

the group themselves.

When information is
there for everyone.

to speak.

A good facilitator is
someone the group
can trust, has patience
and respects us.

A good facilitator gives support but

knows when to back off...
someone who helps the group to
build their skills.

I am more powerful now than when I first started.

what
w
o
n
k
o
t
d
e
e
We n
ions
t
c
a
d
n
a
s
t
e
the targ
ence
r
e
f
f
i
d
t
a
h
w
are...
e?
will they mak
We need str
ong
commitment
from
organisations
and
individuals.

We want more
opportunities to
influence, inform
and challenge.

Reach lots of people

erts so
p
x
e
e
th
e
r
a
e
W
Reach people without words
we should be involved
st
in the answers not ju
s.
uestiongoals
the qshared
Reach

Reach decisions together

5 star ways of working

Choose what to work on.

My life

We keep up to date with news and things

happening around the country.
People say what is important to them and
choose what to speak up about / work on.
Plan how to work together.
We plan meetings, focus groups and
events to share news and views.
Prepare and get ready to do the work.
We prepare clear information to help
people take part in meetings and events.
Do the work together.
We hold meetings, focus groups and
events to help raise issues and share views.
Review the work together.
We review the work and share peoples
views and questions in our clear reports.

Facilitation to speak up empowers self advocates and

helps them achieve greater confidence...in all situations.

Involving people
asist

asist

Not being able to speak isnt the same

as not having something to say...
(Tami Barmache, Dillons path, 2016. youtube)

Everyone has something to bring to meetings

and can get something out of the experience.
Some people speak up at meetings, asking
questions and sharing ideas with the group.
Some people prefer listening to others views
and ideas to find out what is going on.
Some people do not use words and can use
other ways to communicate in meetings.
We work with people in ways that suit them to
take part and get involved in speaking up.
We make clear information in ways that people
Reach lots of people
can understand using words, pictures and films.

10

Reach people without words

Reach targets
1. Training: we offer training to help people to
speak up about rights and issues.
2. Planning: we support people to work
with organisations to plan local services.
3. Informing: we support people to share
their views and stories in our local area.
4. Checking: we support people to work
with organisations to check and review services.
5. Speaking Up: we support people to
speak up together about rights and issues.
6. News and views: we share news, information,
reports and feedback about our work.
7. Working Together: we keep in touch with local,
regional and national speaking up groups.
8. Reaching People: we work with groups and
organisations to include people from different
communities and people with mental ill health.
9. Creative Communication: we use advocacy
tools and person centred skills to work with
people who do not communicate with words.
10. Leadership: we support people to have a say
in the way Reach and Asist work.
I am supported to speak up. I can find out information
but also give information to others.

11

Contact Reach
If you or someone you know wants to work together with
Reach you can get in touch with us by phone:

0300 800 1000

local rate charges
get in touch by email

reach@asist.co.uk
contact us by post:
Reach, Winton House, Stoke Road,
Stoke-on-Trent ST4 2RW

Fact sheet and pictogram images made by

an Asist Project.

Thanks to Reach Members for photographs used in this guide.

Reach is an independent advocacy project. Some of our funding is
from Staffordshire County Council and Stoke-on-Trent City Council.
We receive some grants and money from working in partnership with
local universities and organisations to develop and produce resources.

asist

12

Advocacy Services. Registered Charity No. 1048075 Company No: 3068125

Asist, registered office: Winton House, Stoke Road, Stoke-on-Trent ST4 2RW