Community Advocacy - Advocacy Focus (2024)

People who are disabled

Elderly people

People with learning disabilities

People with mental ill health

People with physical and sensory impairment

People on the autistic spectrum

People with an acquired brain injury

People with long-term conditions

We can help you access the services and support you need and make you aware of your rights when it comes to statutory advocacy. Statutory advocacy is advocacy that is required by law, i.e. someone who is being treated under the Mental Health Act may be legally entitled to the support of an Independent Advocate.

If you feel you have care and support needs, but do not meet the requirements for a Care Assessment or Review, or you need help with your care planning, we can support you.

We can provide you with self-help guides or support from an Independent Advocate in raising your complaint. We are completely independent of the NHS and Social Services and on your side.

We can help you access mental healthcare services, or help you feel more confident to voice your own views and wishes when dealing with mental healthcare services.

Whether you need help seeing a GP or visiting a hospital or need to access/deal with social services, we can help you.

Advocacy can help you raise concerns or challenge decisions. If you feel something isn’t right with your care provider, our self-help tools can help you raise complaints and feel more confident to speak up for yourself.

In a world of budget cuts where services are disappearing or changing every day, we can work with you to make sure that you continue to get the help and support you need.

We can help you explore your options – for example, what medication you take and when and how to take it. An Advocate can help you to communicate your needs and wishes.

A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is a legal document that lets you appoint one or more people (known as ‘attorneys’) to help you make decisions, or to make decisions on your behalf. This is very important and something to think about if you are in ill health. Did you know you can appoint your LPA now online by yourself? Read more here.

End-of-life care planning (sometimes called advance care planning) involves thinking about, talking about and making plans about how you are cared for in the final months of your life. We can ensure you get the support you need during this emotional time and that your wishes are taken into consideration. You can also access some free guides and resources on how to do this here.

Although it’s hard to think about now, there may be a time when you or someone you know becomes too unwell to make important decisions about their care and treatment. We can help you communicate your decisions and future plans before that time comes, for example, if you have recently been diagnosed with a degenerative illness. You can also use this free online tool to start recording your advanced decisions and statements in one place.