ERIC Number: EJ1123551
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016-Jun
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1744-6295
EISSN: N/A
Peer Advocacy in a Personalized Landscape: The Role of Peer Support in a Context of Individualized Support and Austerity
Power, Andrew; Bartlett, Ruth; Hall, Edward
Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, v20 n2 p183-193 Jun 2016
Whilst personalization offers the promise of more choice and control and wider participation in the community, the reality in the United Kingdom has been hampered by local council cuts and a decline in formal services. This has left many people with intellectual disabilities feeling dislocated from collective forms of support (Needham, 2015). What fills this gap and does peer advocacy have a role to play? Drawing on a co-researched study undertaken with and by persons with intellectual disabilities, we examined what role peer advocacy can play in a context of reduced day services, austerity and individualized support. The findings reveal that peer advocacy can help people reconnect in the face of declining services, problem-solve issues and informally learn knowledge and skills needed to participate in the community. We argue that peer advocacy thus offers a vital role in enabling people to take up many of the opportunities afforded by personalization.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Peer Relationship, Peer Groups, Social Support Groups, Intellectual Disability, Retrenchment, Problem Solving, Informal Education, Self Advocacy, Empowerment, Research Methodology, Participant Observation, Social Networks, Participative Decision Making, Individual Needs
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United Kingdom
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A