The "Etcheton" model: how working in partnership with learning disabled people can effect environment and the development of advocacy skills

The project team have a background in social work within learning disabilities practice and it has become evident to them, from that experience, that there is little existence of learning resource material which supports the development of empowering practice in a practical and easy to understand format. The project team have been working for some time on developing a teaching resource which was intended to help students to consider how empowerment, partnership and advocacy are integral processes. The teaching resource takes the form of a flow chart and is referred to as the ‘Etcheton’ model. The model illustrates various stages to show how powerless or powerful a person with learning disabilities might be and how the actions of others working in partnership with them might be helping or hindering the process. The project team are now sharing their model with students, practitioners and people with learning disabilities, in order to evaluate it as a teaching resource and to develop it into an assessment tool