Understanding advocacy for unmet needs

A line drawing depicts a person bridging a gap between two large cliffs with a rope. The cliff on the left is labelled "Unmet," and the one on the right is labelled "Support & Resources." The figure stands tenuously on a narrow surface over a deep chasm, visually illustrating the challenge of connecting unmet needs with available support and resources.

At the recent NAP meeting, partners explored the role of advocacy in identifying patterns of unmet need.  This shows the importance of understanding how free, independent advocacy can illuminate the systemic issues driving inequities within the welfare system. The lived experiences of people with protected characteristics navigating this system through advocacy are crucial for assessing its effectiveness in preventing these issues from escalating. The discussion emphasised the importance of embedding the principle of co-production, as outlined by NDTI, at the heart of advocacy practice. 

The welfare system is a cornerstone of governance, ensuring access to fundamental rights. Since the partnership was established, organisations have collated data highlighting the growing need for independent and free advocacy to address issues in social care and housing provision among others. Statutory services are increasingly shifting responsibility for prevention to other sectors, creating cycles of unmet need. Many cases fail to meet safeguarding criteria despite clear concerns, and eligibility thresholds for social care support have become extremely high, leaving the most vulnerable ones without adequate assistance. Additionally, social workers are under-resourced, resulting in gaps in care even for those with existing packages. 

This context underscores advocacy’s vital role in informing and prompting responses from organisational leaders. According to NDTI, advocacy plays a key part in safeguarding by evaluating and reporting on issues that affect outcomes and translating these findings into actionable duties for institutions and stakeholders. This approach can also be applied to unmet needs identified through advocacy services, ultimately drawing government and organisational attention to systemic challenges. As NDTI suggests, advocacy providers should collaborate with commissioners to identify gaps in the welfare system and clarify advocacy’s role in bridging these gaps, whether in social care, housing, or related areas, while preventing these issues from escalating and negatively impacting communities. 

To fully realise the potential of advocacy in addressing unmet needs, greater awareness across all sectors is essential. Achieving this will require increased resources and stronger collaboration with commissioners to ensure advocacy is recognised and implemented in its full scope, this is to say, as a tool for social justice and inclusion for those facing intersectional barriers.