n-compass is pleased to announce that its advocacy services have been re-awarded the Advocacy Quality Performance Mark (QPM) for another three years, demonstrating that we provide excellent services in line with the Advocacy Charter and Code of Practice.

Independent advocacy is about speaking up for people who cannot speak up for themselves. Helping the most vulnerable address barriers and imbalances of power, ensuring their human rights are recognised, respected, and secured, and supporting people to access the health and social care services they need.

Advocates support people receiving treatment under the Mental Health Act, people who have had their liberty restricted or are incapacitated in some way, particularly if their support networks are limited. If someone needs an advocate, they are likely to feel disempowered, vulnerable, confused, and afraid. Therefore it is vital that independent advocacy services work to the highest standards.

Independent advocacy providers must undergo a rigorous self-assessment process and policy review to gain the QPM, followed by a structured site visit for NDTi assessors to meet advocates and the people they support. The Advocacy QPM offers a robust benchmark for measuring independent advocacy services, ensuring they select the best providers.

Our assessor highlighted the following areas of good practice:

• Clear decision-making structure with a variety of forums for information giving, feedback and discussion. Clear governance and excellent communication throughout the organisation
• A positive focus on learning and access to an Independent Learning Forum
• The use of a coaching model to support self-advocacy and comprehensive access to external supervision
• Support at every level for employees and a focus on well-being. Advocates had access to specialists across the organisation, for example, the Deaf Link Service.
• Advocates and managers demonstrated a wealth of knowledge and experience, with
• The advocacy hubs provide an excellent level of service

multi-skilled advocates in all hubs. Advocates were passionate, reflective and embodied the positive values and culture of n-compass. There is a strong person-centred ethos within the organisation.

Words like innovative, passionate, exemplary, and exceptional permeate the feedback. We strive to provide excellent services in line with the statutory duty that informs them, and our commitment is unwavering. This award reassures us we are on the right track and encourages us to continue to strive for excellence.

But organisations also use the QPM as a development tool, providing a framework to think about and improve services. n-compass uses the Advocacy QPM particularly because it has very high standards and ensures advocacy providers remain accountable. Feedback from our assessor is appreciated and has helped inform our strategic plan, ensuring that our services are of the highest standards. In their final report, the assessor wrote,

“…n-compass advocacy’s managers and advocates demonstrate an extremely strong sense of clarity of purpose; advocates are clear on working to the Advocacy Code of Practice their roles and the boundaries of these and explained how they describe this to people they work with, families and professionals.”