Advocacy is when a person or a group of people speak up for themselves or others.
It is about supporting and sometimes representing peoples’ needs, opinions and choices.
What is Advocacy?
Advocacy is about helping you to make sure that your views and wishes are heard; and that you have all the information you need to help you make choices and decisions. It is also about having someone on your side.
When you ask Social Services for help, it is not always easy to get your views and wishes across, and an advocate can help you to do this. Your advocate’s only concern is with what you want to say, and if you ask your advocate to speak for you, they will put forward your views as if they were their own. Your advocate may, if you wish, talk to the people closest to you, but at the end of the day, your advocate’s only concern is to make sure that your views are heard.
Your advocate’s job is also to make sure that you understand the information which is being given to you, and that you have all the information you need so that you can decide, for example, what sort of care you want; and whether or not you want an individual budget.
Advocacy is provided free of charge, by projects which are paid for either by the council or the Primary Care Trust (PCT) or Trust Funds.