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Specialist Advocacy
The Nationwide Health and Disability Consumer Advocacy service
now has six specialist advocates to make the service more
accessible and responsive to the Deaf community as well as refugees
and migrants from non-English speaking countries.
Read more about:
Specialist Deaf
Advocates
There are three specialist Deaf health and disability
advocates.
Lyneen Allen is based in the Lower Hutt office
and covers the lower part of the North Island up to the Taranaki
area and across to the Hawke's Bay region. LAllen@hdc.org.nz
Claire Raisin is based in the Christchurch
advocacy office. The Christchurch position will be the contact for
the South Island although the key focus will be concentrated in the
greater Christchurch region where the greatest number of the Deaf
community are located. CRaisin@hdc.org.nz
Anna Dubbelt is based in the Kelston office in
West Auckland. The Auckland position will extend up to the Far
North and include the Waikato region although the key focus will be
on the greater Auckland region where the largest number of the Deaf
community are located. AnnaDu@hdc.org.nz
Focus of the Deaf Advocates
Although they will be responding to enquiries and assisting
consumers to resolve complaints, the most significant part of the
role of the Deaf advocates will be networking and providing
education sessions.
The education sessions for health and disability providers will
focus on such areas as understanding Deaf culture, communicating
effectively with Deaf consumers and dealing respectfully with them.
The Code of Rights will provide the framework for
meeting the rights of the Deaf community using these services.
As well as education about their rights, self advocacy sessions
will be provided to Deaf consumers to enable them to develop skills
to advocate on their own behalf when matters of concern are outside
the advocate's jurisdiction. The advocate is able to act as a
mentor and sounding board for a consumer advocating for
themselves.
Ongoing liaison with Deaf Aotearoa will help identify when there
are opportunities for the advocates to take part in joint sessions
and presentations where information about the Code, HDC and
advocacy is appropriate.
The Deaf advocates provide internal training for advocacy staff
to increase their knowledge and understanding of the Deaf
community, and are available to provide guidance and advice to
advocates working with Deaf consumers and the wider Deaf
community.
Specialist Refugee
and Migrant Advocacy Service
There are three specialist refugee/migrant advocates who can be
contacted through the advocacy freephone number 0800 555 050 or by
emailing advocacy@hdc.org.nz
Maureen Zaya is based in the Wellington
advocacy office in Newtown and covers the lower part of the North
Island up to the Taranaki area and across to the Hawke's Bay
region.
Santino Deng is based in the South Auckland
advocacy office in East Tamaki. The Auckland position will extend
up to the Far North and include the Waikato region although the key
focus will be on the greater Auckland region where the largest
number of refugees is located.
Shah Wali Atayee is based in the Christchurch
advocacy office. The Christchurch position will be the contact for
the South Island although the key focus will be concentrated in the
greater Christchurch region where the largest number of refugees is
located.
Focus of the Refugee/Migrant Advocates
Although the focus is on refugee and migrant communities, the
greatest focus of these advocates will mainly be on refugees, and
then on new migrants from non-English speaking countries, as we
recognise their cultural and linguistic diversity makes them
particularly vulnerable when they come to New Zealand.
The advocates will respond to enquiries and assist consumers to
resolve complaints about health and disability services. However,
the priority, and most significant part of their role will be
providing education sessions on the Code of Rights, and networking
with the various communities. They will also be proactive in
assisting people within these groups who have disabilities and are
experiencing difficulties with services responding to their
needs.
We recognise that although the New Zealand way is to use
complaints as a way of improving services, it is not accepted
practice in many cultures to make a complaint. These
advocates will therefore need to explore with the various
communities acceptable ways they can make their views known to
health and disability providers so their rights are respected and
providers can make changes to improve service quality for these
communities.
As well as education about their rights, self advocacy sessions
will be provided to refugee and migrant consumers to enable them to
develop skills to advocate on their own behalf when matters of
concern to them are outside the advocate's jurisdiction. The
advocate is able to act as a mentor and sounding board for a
consumer advocating for themselves.
The advocates will liaise with the Refugee Coalition and
Refugees as Survivors on an ongoing basis to identify when there
are opportunities to be involved in community networking activities
as well as joint sessions and presentations where information about
the Code, HDC and advocacy would be appropriate. They will also
liaise with other local organisations that work with refugees as
well as those working with migrant communities.
The Refugee/Migrant Advocates will provide internal training for
other advocacy staff to increase their knowledge and understanding
of the issues for refugees and new migrants, particularly the
challenges faced by those who speak little or no English. They will
also provide guidance and advice to advocates working with
consumers from these communities.
Māori and
Pasifika Communities
Over half the remaining advocates are Māori.
A Pasifika advocate familiar with migrant and language issues is
able to work with Pasifika communities in the South Auckland
area.
However, these advocates are part of the mainstream advocacy
service and therefore available to all health and disability
consumers.
They are, like the other advocates in the service, expected to
network within their local Māori and Pasifika communities and
provide education sessions on the Code of Rights, HDC and
advocacy.
These sessions will be tailored to the particular needs of the
group.