Old issues and new directions: perceptions of advocacy, its extent and effectiveness from a qualitative study of stakeholder views.

This article describes and discusses 27 interviews that explored perceptions of the effectiveness of advocacy services for people with learning disabilities in the UK. The views of stakeholders on the current position of advocacy services, how services are evaluated and recommendations for change are central themes in the analysis of the interviews. The discussion suggests that although evaluation of effectiveness is increasingly important in the light of policy change and funding constraints, it is not universally in place and available tools are considered to be inadequate for the task. The explanation of this may lie in the continuing debates over the meaning and purpose of evaluation and fears that it is one-dimensional. Future investment and commitment to advocacy schemes will need to address these issues.