Saturday, 7 February 2026
People with disabilities work in advocacy/counselling.
Empathy
Understanding
Role modelling
Trust building
22. Key Messages – Level 3
Advocacy empowers
Counselling supports emotions
Skills build trust
Safety is essential
Holistic support works best
Level 3 Knowledge Check
What is safeguarding?
When can confidentiality be broken?
Name one safety responsibility.
Give one benefit of advocacy.
Why is lived experience valuable?
What is risk management?
Who do counsellors report safeguarding concerns to?
What does holistic support mean?
Answers:
Protecting from harm
When risk is present
Reporting concerns
Confidence / access / independence
Understanding & empathy
Assessing harm risk
Safeguarding lead / services
Whole-person support
✅ End of Module
Levels 1–3: Awareness, Skills & Types, Practice & Safety
Advocacy & counselling principles
Knowledge checks for all levels
Easy Read style: short sentences, plain English, bullet points
Easy Read Training Module
Advocacy & Counselling Skills
LEVEL 1 – Awareness
1. What is Advocacy in Counselling?
Advocacy means counsellors:
Speak up for clients
Protect rights
Remove barriers
Help people access services
It can be:
Helping one person
Changing systems
2. What is Counselling?
Counselling is talking support.
Share feelings
Talk about worries
Feel listened to
Learn coping skills
3. Why People Need Advocacy
People with learning disabilities or mental health needs may face:
Discrimination
Lack of school support
Work barriers
Communication difficulties
Service access problems
Advocacy helps fix these.
4. Why People Need Counselling
People may experience:
Anxiety
Depression
Trauma
Bullying
Low confidence
Counselling supports emotional wellbeing.
5. Empowerment vs Support
Advocacy = Empowerment
Builds voice
Promotes independence
Supports rights
Counselling = Emotional Support
Heals feelings
Builds coping skills
Improves wellbeing
Level 1 Knowledge Check
What is advocacy?
What is counselling?
Name one reason someone needs advocacy.
Name one reason someone needs counselling.
Which focuses on rights?
Answers:
Speaking up / rights support
Talking emotional support
Barriers / discrimination
Anxiety / depression
Advocacy
LEVEL 2 – Skills & Types
6. Types of Advocacy
Self-advocacy – speaking up yourself
Individual advocacy – one person support
Peer advocacy – lived experience support
Professional advocacy – trained advocates
Citizen advocacy – volunteer support
7. Levels of Advocacy
Counsellors work at:
Individual level
Group level
Community level
Societal / political level
This may include law or policy change.
8. Systemic Advocacy
Systemic advocacy means changing systems.
School policies
Mental health funding
Disability access
Anti-discrimination laws
It helps many people, not just one.
9. Professional Advocacy
Counsellors also advocate for:
Their profession
Fair pay
Safe workloads
Service funding
Better staff support = better client care.
10. Public Information
Advocacy also includes:
Awareness campaigns
Education
Reducing stigma
Promoting inclusion
11. Basic Counselling Skills
Counsellors use listening skills to understand clients.
Active listening
Building rapport
Non-judgement
Empathy
These skills build trust.
12. Core Counselling Skills
Attending: Giving full attention
Silence: Allow thinking time
Reflecting / Paraphrasing: Repeat meaning back
Clarifying: Ask open questions
Focusing: Choose key issues
Summarising: Bring themes together
These skills help clients feel heard.
Level 2 Knowledge Check
Name one type of advocacy.
What is systemic advocacy?
Give one example of public advocacy.
What is active listening?
Name one counselling skill.
Answers:
Self / Peer / Professional
Changing systems
Awareness campaign
Listening fully
Reflecting / clarifying / summarising
LEVEL 3 – Practice & Safety
13. Working Together
Advocacy and counselling together provide:
Rights support
Emotional support
System navigation
Confidence building
This is holistic support.
14. Health & Safety in Counselling
Safety is essential. Counsellors must:
Keep clients safe
Follow policies
Report concerns
Work within role limits
15. Safeguarding
Safeguarding means protecting people from harm:
Abuse
Neglect
Exploitation
Self-harm risk
Concerns must be reported.
16. Confidentiality & Boundaries
Counsellors must:
Keep information private
Only share if risk exists
Maintain professional boundaries
Safety comes first
17. Risk Management
Counsellors assess:
Suicide risk
Self-harm
Abuse risk
Mental health crises
They refer to services when needed.
18. Benefits of Advocacy & Counselling
People receiving support may gain:
Confidence
Independence
Education success
Employment access
Better mental health
19. Lived Experience in the Workforce
People with disabilities work in advocacy/counselling.
Empathy
Understanding
Role modelling
Trust building
Saying: “Nothing about us without us.”
20. Level 3 Knowledge Check
What is safeguarding?
When can confidentiality be broken?
Name one safety responsibility.
Give one benefit of advocacy.
Why is lived experience valuable?
What is risk management?
Who do counsellors report safeguarding concerns to?
What does holistic support mean?
Answers:
Protecting from harm
When risk is present
Reporting concerns
Confidence / access / independence
Understanding & empathy
Assessing harm risk
Safeguarding lead / services
Whole-person support
End of Module – Thank You
Thank you for attending
Questions welcome
Support contacts available
✅ This module is Easy Read, uses plain English, short
sentences, and can be used for PowerPoint, Word, or PDF.
Easy Read Training Module
Advocacy & Counselling Skills
LEVEL 1 – Awareness
1. What is Advocacy in Counselling?
Advocacy means counsellors:
Speak up for clients
Protect rights
Remove barriers
Help people access services
It can be:
Helping one person
Changing systems
2. What is Counselling?
Counselling is talking support.
Share feelings
Talk about worries
Feel listened to
Learn coping skills
3. Why People Need Advocacy
People with learning disabilities or mental health needs may face:
Discrimination
Lack of school support
Work barriers
Communication difficulties
Service access problems
Advocacy helps fix these.
4. Why People Need Counselling
People may experience:
Anxiety
Depression
Trauma
Bullying
Low confidence
Counselling supports emotional wellbeing.
5. Empowerment vs Support
Advocacy = Empowerment
Builds voice
Promotes independence
Supports rights
Counselling = Emotional Support
Heals feelings
Builds coping skills
Improves wellbeing
Level 1 Knowledge Check
What is advocacy?
What is counselling?
Name one reason someone needs advocacy.
Name one reason someone needs counselling.
Which focuses on rights?
Answers:
Speaking up / rights support
Talking emotional support
Barriers / discrimination
Anxiety / depression
Advocacy
LEVEL 2 – Skills & Types
6. Types of Advocacy
Self-advocacy – speaking up yourself
Individual advocacy – one person support
Peer advocacy – lived experience support
Professional advocacy – trained advocates
Citizen advocacy – volunteer support
7. Levels of Advocacy
Counsellors work at:
Individual level
Group level
Community level
Societal / political level
This may include law or policy change.
8. Systemic Advocacy
Systemic advocacy means changing systems.
School policies
Mental health funding
Disability access
Anti-discrimination laws
It helps many people, not just one.
9. Professional Advocacy
Counsellors also advocate for:
Their profession
Fair pay
Safe workloads
Service funding
Better staff support = better client care.
10. Public Information
Advocacy also includes:
Awareness campaigns
Education
Reducing stigma
Promoting inclusion
11. Basic Counselling Skills
Counsellors use listening skills to understand clients.
Active listening
Building rapport
Non-judgement
Empathy
These skills build trust.
12. Core Counselling Skills
Attending: Giving full attention
Silence: Allow thinking time
Reflecting / Paraphrasing: Repeat meaning back
Clarifying: Ask open questions
Focusing: Choose key issues
Summarizing: Bring themes together
These skills help clients feel heard.
Level 2 Knowledge Check
Name one type of advocacy.
What is systemic advocacy?
Give one example of public advocacy.
What is active listening?
Name one counselling skill.
Answers:
Self / Peer / Professional
Changing systems
Awareness campaign
Listening fully
Reflecting / clarifying / summarising
LEVEL 3 – Practice & Safety
13. Working Together
Advocacy + counselling together provide:
Rights support
Emotional support
System navigation
Confidence building
This is holistic support.
14. Health & Safety in Counselling
Safety is essential. Counsellors must:
Keep clients safe
Follow policies
Report concerns
Work within role limits
15. Safeguarding
Safeguarding means protecting people from harm:
Abuse
Neglect
Exploitation
Self-harm risk
Concerns must be reported.
16. Confidentiality & Boundaries
Counsellors must:
Keep information private
Only share if risk exists
Maintain professional boundaries
Safety overrides secrecy
17. Risk Management
Counsellors assess:
Suicide risk
Self-harm
Abuse risk
Mental health crisis
They refer to services when needed.
18. Benefits of Advocacy & Counselling
People receiving support may gain:
Confidence
Independence
Education success
Employment access
Better mental health
19. Lived Experience in the Workforce
People with disabilities work in advocacy/counselling.
Empathy
Understanding
Role modelling
Trust building
Saying: “Nothing about us without us.”
20. Key Messages – Level 3
Advocacy empowers
Counselling supports emotions
Skills build trust
Safety is essential
Holistic support works best
Level 3 Knowledge Check
What is safeguarding?
When can confidentiality be broken?
Name one safety responsibility.
Give one benefit of advocacy.
Why is lived experience valuable?
What is risk management?
Who do counsellors report safeguarding concerns to?
What does holistic support mean?
Answers:
Protecting from harm
When risk is present
Reporting concerns
Confidence / access / independence
Understanding & empathy
Assessing harm risk
Safeguarding lead / services
Whole-person support
✅ Module Complete – ready for use in Word, PDF, or
PowerPoint.
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