Advocacy Services

Disability Sheffield offers a free, confidential and independent advocacy service for disabled people living in Sheffield. If you are having trouble getting the health or social care services that you need, we may be able to help you. You can watch a video about the advocacy service.

We are part of the Sheffield Advocacy Hub . If you are a professional wanting to make a referral please contact the Hub on by calling 0114 226 1674. or email
referrals@sheffieldadvocacyhub.org.uk

Here are examples of issues we can help you with:

• Getting your voice heard by the healthcare and social care practitioners working with you
• Supporting you by providing information and advocacy support on a range of issues that affect your ability to live your own life
• Speaking on your behalf if you want us to
• Letter writing, complaints procedures, preparing for and attending meetings, reviews and assessments
• Talking in confidence to someone who is independent of the NHS and social services
• Protecting your rights and getting the right support and advice from other service providers if necessary
• Helping you get the services you need and helping services offer a more flexible and individual approach to meet your needs
• Supporting you if you want to make major changes , for example moving out of institutional care or the family home
• If you are assessed as not being eligible for care services looking at what other options are available for you

We cannot solve problems ourselves but we can support you in getting your voice heard where there are barriers to this. We will give information and support so you can make your own informed choices about the issue. We support adults who live in Sheffield with health and social care related issues.

Accessing the service

We accept self-referrals, or referrals from family/friends directly. If you are referring someone else you need to make sure you have their permission first otherwise we will be unable to accept the referral.

You can download our referral form by clicking the button at the top of this text to the left. If you are a professional, please get in touch with the Sheffield Advocacy Hub instead using the information above.

If you are not sure whether advocacy is the right service for you, please call us on
0114 253 6750. to discuss it or you can email advocacyreferrals@disabilitysheffield.org.uk

Once we have your referral there will be a wait before we can allocate an advocate as we have a waiting list. If there is a reason that you need advocacy urgently then please let us know. Once an advocate has been allocated they will contact you and make an appointment. We will contact you by phone, or video call. If it is not possible to make a phone or online appointment, we will try and visit you at home. Your advocate will work one to one with you on the issue that you have and will finish working with you once that piece of work comes to an end.