What is an independent advocacy service?
Independent advocacy aims to help people and groups by supporting them to express their own wishes and needs and to make their own informed decisions. This includes: -
- Helping people have a stronger voice
- Ensuring people are fully involved in making decisions about themselves.
- Standing up to injustice.
- Enabling people to gain access to information, explore and understand their options.
- Speaking up on behalf of people who are unable to do so for themselves.
- Helping someone to know what choices they have and what the consequences of these choices may be.
- Stand alongside anyone who has been marginalised in society.
Examples of our service
- Helping clients know their rights.
- Explaining how to obtain legal advice.
- Informing your rights within various 'systems' e.g. the Mental Health system, Community Care system and the Adult/Child Protection system.
- Support through conflicts with other people e.g. a carer, a neighbour, a doctor, a solicitor or employers.
- Provide information on Self-Directed Support (SDS) – relating to care
- Work with professionals to make sure you are involved and consulted on all aspects of care and treatment.
- Challenge injustice, unfairness and exclusion.
An advocate will
- Listen to you.
- Help to put forward your ideas/thoughts to others.
- Help you to find the information you need about services or support available to you and what your rights are.
- Help you to reach decisions about your preferred options and how best to go about defending your rights.
- Support you to challenge decisions made or actions taken which directly affect you.