The Spectrum of Advocacy
The Age Cymru Windscreen Wiper Model
Where This Model Comes From
The Windscreen Wiper model was developed by Age Cymru to help explain how advocacy works across a spectrum of need. It was created in the context of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014, which brought a significant shift in how Wales approaches care, support, and the rights of individuals within those systems. The model gave practitioners and commissioners a simple, visual way to understand where different types of advocacy sit and how they relate to each other.
The image of a windscreen wiper is deliberate. A wiper does not replace your vision. It clears the view so you can see what is actually there. Advocacy works the same way. It does not take over or make decisions. It removes the barriers that stop a person's voice from getting through.
More than a decade on from the Act, the model holds up well. The landscape has grown more complex, with new legislation layered on top, but the core principle has not changed. People still move across this spectrum depending on their circumstances, and understanding where someone sits helps you work out what kind of support they actually need.
Wales has its own legislative framework for social care and advocacy, and the Wiper model was built within that context. It reflects the values embedded in the SSWb(W)A 2014, particularly the focus on voice, choice, and control. Using it as a frame of reference keeps the learning grounded in the law and practice that actually applies to your work.
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Advocacy Services as described in the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014, Part 10 Code of Practice.
Understanding the Sweep
👆 Click each card to find out more about that part of the spectrum.
Advocacy happens across the whole spectrum, and all of it matters. Many people and many issues can be supported perfectly well earlier in the spectrum, and this is likely happening every day already. Self-advocacy, maybe with support from trusted family or friends, should always be the first consideration.
This course, however, focuses more on the top end of the wiper (the right-hand side). This is where the legal duties sit and where you, as practitioners, will be making the majority of your considerations and interventions. This is for when the lower end of the spectrum has been considered and is not appropriate or has not worked.
Think of it as zooming in. You need to be clear on what triggers a statutory advocacy need and how to navigate the referral pathway with confidence. That is exactly what this course will equip you to do.