Our Achievements
Advocacy services in Staffordshire &
Stoke-on-Trent
ACHIEVEMENTS
History
Asist was established in July 1994. Since inception, Asist’s core activity has been the delivery of one-to-one, issue-based advocacy services to people with learning disabilities, physical disabilities and/or mental health conditions.
Alongside its advocacy services, Asist has developed considerable experience in such things as the provision of accessible information and the creation of communication tools.
Asist was one of the first organisations to become accredited with the Quality Performance Mark for Advocacy Services, including the additional assessment for delivery of the Independent Mental Capacity Advocate Service. Asist is accredited as an organisation that is positive about employing people with disabilities.
Award Winning
2016 and 2019
Best Supporter of Advocacy – This award focuses on people who do not directly deliver advocacy, but who contribute to and improve standards within the sector.
2018
Equality and Diversity – Equality and Diversity is about making sure people from all communities are included and treated fairly, serving diverse communities, forming partnerships with community organisations and supporting a diverse staff group and volunteers.
2023
In September 2023 Asist joined up with Staffordshire ICB to deliver the Oliver McGowan Training on Learning Disabilities and Autism.
This training is named after Oliver, a young man who had a mild learning disability and was autistic, and who sadly lost his life in hospital at the age of only 18. Prior to his death, Oliver endured many harrowing experiences in hospital due to the staff’s lack of understanding about how to care for and make reasonable adjustments for autistic people and those with learning disabilities.
The Oliver McGowan Training is now the preferred and recommended training that all staff working for CQC registered organisations should complete. It must be co-delivered by Experts with Lived Experience of a Learning Disability and Autism, which is where Asist’s involvement comes in, as it is our job to recruit and support Experts in their roles.
Since January 2024 we have gone from working with 2 Experts to 20 Experts! In March 2024 our Experts made a wonderful video about their involvement in the training.
You can watch ‘Meet the Oliver McGowan Training co-trainers’ on YouTube.
The Advocacy Quality Performance Mark (QPM)
The only Quality Mark for organisations offering independent advocacy.
The Advocacy Quality Performance Mark (QPM) is only awarded to organisations who can demonstrate that they provide excellent services in line with QPM standards and the advocacy charter.
The QPM is a quality assurance assessment for providers of independent advocacy in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is based on the principles contained in the Advocacy Charter and the Advocacy Code of Practice, enabling providers to demonstrate how they are meeting the different standards.
