Advocacy Service — Introduction
Independent Advocacy Service
Disability Sheffield offers a free, confidential and independent advocacy service for disabled adults living in Sheffield. If you are having difficulties accessing the health or social care services that you need, we may be able to help you.
Our Independent Advocates provide 1-1 support to help people experiencing issues with health and social care services. Independent Advocates work in partnership with you to support you to have your voice heard, challenge decisions you are unhappy about, and understand information (Such as your options and your rights) in order to make your own informed decisions.
You can find some Easy Read information about advocacy here:
Advocacy Service - How we can help
How We Can Help
We are an issue-based service. This means we can’t work with you on a long-term, ongoing basis but that we support you with particular issues that you are experiencing in your life. When the issues are resolved or there is nothing further advocacy can do to support, then we would stop working with you.
Here are examples of issues that we can help you with:
We can help with: needs assessments, getting a care package, issues with care providers, complaints about social care.
Such as eligibility assessments and care planning.
We can support with communicating with healthcare professionals at non-routine appointments, and challenging or seeking a diagnosis.
We can support with referrals, assessments and appeals.
We can support with referrals and appeals
Advocacy Service - Statutory Advocacy
Statutory Advocacy
We work in partnership with Citizens Advice Sheffield, Cloverleaf Advocacy and SACMHA other advocacy services in Sheffield under Sheffield Advocacy Hub. As part of Sheffield Advocacy Hub we also provide statutory advocacy. Statutory advocacy has specific eligibility criteria, but includes:
Advocacy under the Care Act, for those who have substantial difficulty being involved in adult social care processes and they don’t have another appropriate person to support them to have their voice heard.
Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy, for those who lack capacity around decisions related to a change in accommodation or serious medical treatment.
NHS Complaints advocacy
There is more information on the Sheffield Advocacy Hub website about the different types of advocacy.
There are certain issues that we cannot support with, this includes providing advocacy around benefits. If our advocacy service is unable to support you with your issue, we will try to signpost you to other services and may provide you with information to help you, via our Information Service.
To find out more about what we can and cannot support with, see our Disability Sheffield Generic Advocacy Remit or you can also watch a video about our advocacy service.
Advocacy Service - Advocacy Quality Performance Mark
Advocacy Quality Performance Mark
Disability Sheffield has been awarded the Advocacy Quality Performance Mark (QPM) from the National Development Team for Inclusion (NDTi). The QPM is the UK’s only independent quality performance mark for organisations offering independent advocacy.
“The Advocacy Quality Performance Mark is only awarded to advocacy organisations who can demonstrate that they are providing excellent services to people often experiencing challenging situations in their lives. It indicates that they have the training and policies in place to ensure people’s rights are upheld and their preferences are heard and responded to.”
Support Us - Use Your Voice
Get Involved
Your voice matters! We’re here to help you tackle the issues that matter to you. There are several ways you can get involved with our work, so chose the way that suits you and join our community of disabled people working for positive change in Sheffield and the UK!