SAM were granted funding from the Henry Smith Charity.  The funding was for a three-year community project working with people who have a learning disability or autism.

Over the 3 years, Social Finance and Henry Smith formed a report of all the work the advocacy services had been doing.

They formally launched the report at the House of Parliament!
Two Independent Advocates from SAM attended (Georgie and Harry).

The event heard from lots of people including Liam Colon (MP) and experts by experience.

Some highlights from their findings include:

-For every £1 invested in non-statutory advocacy, there are an estimated £12 of savings (£7 for the NHS and £5 for local authorities).

-94% of participants reached or made progress towards their self-determined goals

-The Henry Smith Strategic Grant programme cost £926,000 per year and generated estimated financial benefits of £11.5 million per year (£34.5 million in total)

-“Non statutory advocacy has allowed me to have a meaningful voice… It has inspired me to live the life I wish to live rather than the life professionals thought I could live…”

Here is the link to the Social Finance page where you can read more about this ground-breaking project – Independent advocacy for independent lives | Social Finance

To read the Social Finance report click here.

The Big Issue have a piece in their latest issue about this too.

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