Advocacy
How Can Advocacy Help Me?
An advocate is a person who stands up for someone else.
You can see advocacy happening in everyday life. Parents standing up for their children; children standing up for their friends. These people are acting as advocates.
Some people don’t have family or anyone else who can help them. Sometimes they are extremely vulnerable and not used to making decisions for themselves or having a say in their care.
This is where an advocate comes in.
Having an advocate on your side can be useful when you’re ill or dealing with difficult issues in your life. Many people with learning difficulties or who are dealing with mental ill health often benefit from advocacy. It can make all the difference having someone fighting your corner that has the experience and confidence to speak up.
Different types of advocacy
- Self advocacy is when a group of people who are facing similar problems get together to change things for the better. That can mean speaking out to change other people’s attitudes, improve local services or campaigning for changes in policy.
- Professional advocacy is when an independent advocate works with you to help you sold your problem. The advocate might be paid or be a volunteer.
- Citizen Advocacy is when an ordinary member of the public will get to know you and do what they can, for as long as it takes, to help you to get what you need.
- Independent Advocacy aims to give you as much control as possible over your life. It is called independent because independent advocates work separately from services like hospitals, social work. Independent Advocates use their knowledge of the legal, health or welfare to represent a person's interests and help them to get their point across. This service may be provided by independent paid professional staff or by volunteers with relevant training and experience.
