Advocacy Services - What is Advocacy?
What is Advocacy?
“Advocacy is taking action to help people say what they want, secure their rights, represent their interests and obtain services they need. Advocates and advocacy schemes work in partnership with the people they support and take their side. Advocacy promotes social inclusion, equality and social justice.”
Taken from The Advocacy Charter (2002), this is the basic statement which sums up what independent advocates do today.
It is the basis of the Advocacy Code of Practice, and all of our advocates adhere to this Code.
What is Advocacy? - What Advocates do
What Advocates do
Help and Empower
- Make informed decisions
- Talk to other professionals about what you want and need
- Think about your options and choices
- Make a complaint or challenge a decision you are unhappy about
- Solve problems
- Find out about and access health and social care services
- Speak on your behalf if you want us to
- Speak up for your human rights
- Tackle discrimination and stigma
Building Independence
- Make decisions for you
- Give you legal advice
- Give you medical advice
- Help you apply for benefits and entitlements
- Help to claim compensation
- Provide befriending
- Provide an emergency support service
Examples of Support
- Meeting 1:1 with your advocate to discuss your health or social care issue
- Creating an action plan
- Making phone calls
- Sending emails
- Letter writing
- Preparing for and attending meetings, reviews and assessments with other professionals
- Breaking down information to make it more accessible
Help and Empower
- Make informed decisions
- Talk to other professionals about what you want and need
- Think about your options and choices
- Make a complaint or challenge a decision you are unhappy about
- Solve problems
- Find out about and access health and social care services
- Speak on your behalf if you want us to
- Speak up for your human rights
- Tackle discrimination and stigma
Building Independence
- Make decisions for you
- Give you legal advice
- Give you medical advice
- Help you apply for benefits and entitlements
- Help to claim compensation
- Provide befriending
- Provide an emergency support service
Examples of Support
- Meeting 1:1 with your advocate to discuss your health or social care issue
- Creating an action plan
- Making phone calls
- Sending emails
- Letter writing
- Preparing for and attending meetings, reviews and assessments with other professionals
- Breaking down information to make it more accessible
What is Advocacy? - How We Advocate
How We Advocate
There are many different types of advocacy, At Disability Sheffield we provide both Generic and Statutory advocacy support, but there are many different types of advocacy.
Independent Advocates will adapt to how you need them to work with you and will agree this with you at the start of the advocacy partnership. They will encourage you to do as much as you can to speak up for yourself. This is called Self-Advocacy. We have several resources that may help you self-advocate here:
Disability Sheffield also run a self-advocacy group for people with learning disabilities and / or autism, you can find out more here:
What Is Advocacy? - Principles of the Advocacy Charter
Principles of the Advocacy Charter
Clarity of Purpose
We have clearly stated aims and objectives and are able to demonstrate how we meet the principles in this Charter. We ensure everyone we work with knows what we can do, and what we cannot do.
Independence
We are independent from the Council, the NHS and other care providers. We make challenges on our clients’ behalf when its needed.
Confidentiality
We have a written confidentiality policy and make sure we take proper care of information about you.
Clarity of Purpose
We have clearly stated aims and objectives and are able to demonstrate how we meet the principles in this Charter. We ensure everyone we work with knows what we can do, and what we cannot do.
Independence
We are independent from the Council, the NHS and other care providers. We make challenges on our clients’ behalf when its needed.
Confidentiality
We have a written confidentiality policy and make sure we take proper care of information about you.
Person Centered Approach
In most cases, you decide what we do on your behalf. We have a clear way of supporting people who cannot tell us what they want, to make sure their rights and interests are protected.
Empowerment
We encourage you to speak up for yourself, and to take action for yourself whenever we can. We want to know what you think about our service and invite you to tell us.
Equal Opportunity
We make sure anyone who needs an advocate from our service can get one, and be treated fairly regardless of their culture, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, disability, age or religion.
We make sure everyone gets a fair portion of our advocates’ time
Person Centered Approach
In most cases, you decide what we do on your behalf. We have a clear way of supporting people who cannot tell us what they want, to make sure their rights and interests are protected.
Empowerment
We encourage you to speak up for yourself, and to take action for yourself whenever we can. We want to know what you think about our service and invite you to tell us.
Equal Opportunity
We make sure anyone who needs an advocate from our service can get one, and be treated fairly regardless of their culture, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, disability, age or religion.
We make sure everyone gets a fair portion of our advocates’ time
Accountability
When we begin work with you, you will have a named advocate and a means of contacting them. We will ask you to tell us what you think about our service. We will provide reports to our Trustees, our funders and the general public about our service and how we are doing.
Supporting Advocates
We ensure our advocates are prepared, trained and supported in their role, and have regular opportunities to develop their skills and experience.
Safeguarding
Our advocates understand the different forms of abuse and neglect and have clear procedures to follow if we suspect a client is at risk.
Accountability
When we begin work with you, you will have a named advocate and a means of contacting them. We will ask you to tell us what you think about our service. We will provide reports to our Trustees, our funders and the general public about our service and how we are doing.
Supporting Advocates
We ensure our advocates are prepared, trained and supported in their role, and have regular opportunities to develop their skills and experience.
Safeguarding
Our advocates understand the different forms of abuse and neglect and have clear procedures to follow if we suspect a client is at risk.
Complaints
To find out how you can comment or complain about our services visit Make a Complaint.
Complaints
To find out how you can comment or complain about our services visit Make a Complaint.
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!