As you know advocacy and representation is a function provided by community services workers to support their clients to have their needs, concerns and issues met.

This essentially means that clients and client groups could have many varied issues which they wish to advance. You will have learnt about this in your training for this unit.

In your work, it may not be possible for you to provide advocacy and representation services to clients or client groups.

As a result, to perform this exam as a simulated task, which will mimic a real-world scenario.

To perform this task as a simulated exercise, carefully read the instructions below.

Your role

Assume you are a newly recruited community advocacy officer whose role is to represent the needs, interests and concerns of service users. As the role is new there are no specific structures and processes in place so part of your role will be to set these up.

Assume too that:

• your organisation's objectives include to meet services user needs to the best possible extent by representing their issues and concerns and advocating to key people on their behalf.
• Priorities for the organisation are all underrepresented groups which you can assume are the clients/client groups you choose.

Choosing two clients or client groups

Choose two clients or client groups whose needs, issues and concerns you are familiar with. This may be clients that you have encountered during your work placement or work or clients or client groups whose interests you feel passionate about.

As this assessment also requires you to develop strategic alliances, you are to identify other students in your group who have chosen the same type of, or similar clients. For example, you may have decided to focus on people with specific disabilities such as intellectual disabilities in general and another student in your group may have decided to focus on people with disabilities.

Thus, you could form a "strategic alliance" with these students and not only discuss the representative role and processes as outlined below but also discuss your ideas about how to best advocate for and represent the client or client groups you have chosen.

You should identify at least two other students that you can meet with for Activity Step 2.3.

Note that the assessment also requires you to organise committees/board of management so the same group of students that you form a strategic alliance with can also form part of the committee/board of management. Consider this when answering the questions in your Portfolio.

Establishing the representative role and processes

In the first part of your assessment (AT2.2) you are to establish the representative role and process for both clients or client groups.

This role and process may be the same, similar or different for each client or client group so make sure you capture this in your work.

Initially you will prepare some preparation work to draft what you consider roles and processes should be. You can preapre by following the instructions in your Portfolio.

You will then consult with a small group of students on the work that you have prepare. This small group of students will be as per the instructions above. The group will listen to your ideas and provide input. The students in your group will also be preparing their assessment so they will have a good understanding of the content and will be able to provide feedback. They will also be part of your strategic alliance.

In your small group of students, each person will present their work so you will also be in a position where you provide input on others' ideas. The meeting can be in person or online.

If you are unsure of any aspect of this project, speak to your assessor.

Information required to prepare Section 2 of your Portfolio following the presentation.

It's now 3 months since you started your advocacy and representation role with the following results:

• You have secured funding for the activities you identified as priorities. Funding applied for was $20,000 and a grant of $15,000 was provided.
• You have conducted a number of community workshops to raise awareness and discuss ideas - the attendance at meeting has been as follows: Workshop1 - 4 people, Workshop 2 - 9 people, Workshop 3 - 10 people.
• A community survey addressing your client group was sent out - out of the 100 people you sent it to, 20 responded.

Section 1: Advocacy and representation services preparation

In this section you will document your preparation to provide advocacy and representation services for two individual clients or client groups. You will write for each individual or group.

have to write prior to the meeting. Remember to review the simulation pack for additional guidance.

Client or Group 1 - this for Client or Client Group 1 only
Individual or client group Describe the individual client or group (service users) you have chosen to focus on. Your description should address the issues and concerns that the client or group is facing such that advocacy and representation services are required. Which of these key interests and concerns do you believe are a priority? Explain why. If you are successful in achieving a positive outcome in meeting interests and concerns, describe the impact that this will have on the client or group.
Representative role Provide a description of the following: Your overall strategy for providing advocacy and representation services to each of the individual clients or groups. Your proposed role in representing the interests of the service users you have chosen. The role of others including committees and board of management in representing service users. Remember to review your Simulation Pack about this too. An outline of the processes that you will follow for your advocacy and representative role, including reporting and evaluation (how success will be measured). How you will be accountable (conditions of representation).
Key people and strategic alliances Based on the client or client groups you have selected which key people will you develop strategic alliances with? Please review the information in your Simulation Pack about forming strategic alliances and indicate the names of the other students that you have selected to form strategic alliances with, as well as describe the client or client groups these students are intending to advocate for/represent. Document some initial ideas about how you could work together to better represent clients/client groups.

this section after the meeting.

Feedback Summarise the feedback provided from the meeting to inform the representative role and processes. Further note down the ideas you brainstormed at the meeting about forming strategic alliances to support each other.

Client or Group 2 - this for Client or Client Group 2 only
Individual or client group Describe the individual client or group (service users) you have chosen to focus on. Your description should address the issues and concerns that the client or group is facing such that advocacy and representation services are required. Which of these key interests and concerns do you believe are a priority? Explain why. If you are successful in achieving a positive outcome in meeting interests and concerns, describe the impact that this will have on the client or group.
Representative role Provide a description of the following: Your overall strategy for providing advocacy and representation services to each of the individual clients or groups. Your proposed role in representing the interests of the service users you have chosen. The role of others including committees and board of management in representing service users. An outline of the processes that you will follow for your advocacy and representative role, including reporting and evaluation (how success will be measured). How you will be accountable (conditions of representation).
Key people and strategic alliances Based on the client or client groups you have selected which key people will you develop strategic alliances with? Please review the information in your Simulation Pack about forming strategic alliances and indicate the names of the other students that you have selected to form strategic alliances with, as well as describe the client or client groups these students are intending to advocate for/represent. Document some initial ideas about how you could work together to better represent clients/client groups.

this section after the meeting.

Feedback Summarise the feedback provided from the meeting to inform the representative role and processes. Further note down the ideas you brainstormed at the meeting about forming strategic alliances to support each other.

Section 2: Advocacy and representation services

this section before your presentation. Remember that you need to develop a presentation for each client or client group but you will deliver both presentation in one session i.e. start with presentation 1 and then provide presentation 2.

Client or Group 1- this for Client or Client Group 1 only
Presentation a presentation to represent the interests of the client or client group. This should include as a minimum. An outline of the client or client's group interests and concerns and how this impacts them The proposed action/s you are seeking to address these interests and concerns Why if the actions are taken they will be beneficial to the client or client group and applicable others An opportunity for those attending your presentation to provide their input. Include the title of your presentation here and attach it to your Portfolio.
Potential areas of conflict Outline potential areas of conflict that could arise between service users and decision makers in relation to needs and interests. How will you address this? Outline at least one strategy that you could use at your presentation to address this.

Client or Group 2 - this for Client or Client Group 2 only
Presentation a presentation to represent the interests of the client or client group. This should include as a minimum. An outline of the client or client's group interests and concerns and how this impacts them The proposed action/s you are seeking to address these interests and concerns Why if the actions are taken they will be beneficial to the client or client group and applicable others An opportunity for those attending your presentation to provide their input. Include the title of your presentation here and attach it to your Portfolio.
Potential areas of conflict Outline potential areas of conflict that could arise between service users and decision makers in relation to needs and interests. How will you address this? Outline at least one strategy that you could use at your presentation to address this.

this section after your presentation. This will be in relation to both of the clients/client groups. Remember to review the information in your Simulation Pack to contribute to your review and analysis.

Evaluation
Feedback Summarise the collaborative input you received at your presentation.
Outcomes Reflect on the work you have to date including establishing the representative role and representing interests at a presentation. Based on the objectives and priorities established at the outset of this project, provide a brief report on success or otherwise to date. This should also include your reflections on the strategic alliances you formed with other students and how this was helpful. What adjustments could you make to your overall strategy of representing the client or client groups? Describe at least one.