Advocacy for social services clients

What does Advocacy mean?

“Advocacy is when someone supports you to speak up, or speaks on your behalf to help you get what you are entitled to.”

If you have something you wish to say to us or you have something that you wish to tell us about, you can either tell us yourself or ask someone to speak to us on your behalf.  

This person is called an ‘Advocate’.

If you find it difficult, or if you are unable to speak for yourself, then an advocate can help to make sure that your views and opinions are heard and understood.  

The Benefits of Advocacy:

• It will enable you to speak for yourself 

• A person or group will speak for you about your concerns
• It will provide you with access to information, professional support, complaint procedures and services
• It will help you to see what other services are available, such as local community services, self-help groups and other support networks
• It can make it easier for you get information in a way that you can understand.
• It will help you choose what you want to do 
• It will help you to get people to understand your point of view 
• The advocate will only speak for you
• The advocate will listen to you without judging you.

Advocacy IS about:

• Clarifying your own views and wishes

• Assisting with expressing your views effectively
• Representing your views faithfully and effectively 
• Providing independent advice and accurate information
• Enabling negotiation and resolution of conflict to take place.

Advocacy IS NOT about:

• Persuading the person to agree with others

• The Advocate deciding what is in the person's best interests
• Complaining - Advocacy is not an alternative complaints procedure but may involve the Advocate in supporting the person in making a complaint effectively 
• Campaigning – although it may highlight problems and gaps in particular services
• Providing social support - for example, managing someone's financial affairs or organising transport or shopping
• Interpreting for a person whose first language is not English.  We will provide an interpreter if you require one.