The People's Advocacy Service
Advocacy: Easy Read (doc)What is Advocacy?
Our advocates are drawn from many varied backgrounds, some are paid and are members of staff, and others work as volunteers. We always try to ensure that you feel comfortable working with your advocate, and where possible, allow you choice. All our advocates are trained, supervised and cleared by Disclosure Scotland as suitable for working with people who are vulnerable.
Advocacy is about:
- Safeguarding your rights when you are vulnerable.
- Listening to you and ensuring that you are listened to.
- Providing you with information so that you can make informed choices and decisions.
- Empowering you to express yourself and take part in decisions which affect you.
- Respecting your right to make your own choices
- Being there for you without conflict of interest
- Be Accessible to all who require it.
- Be Accountable to those who use it and fund it.
- Put those who use it first.
- Be as free as possible from conflicts of interest.
- Some of us are vulnerable because of a physical or learning disability, or perhaps a sensory impairment. If you have a profound disability, you may want to access our service for long term advocacy support.
- Some of us are vulnerable because something has happened to us, perhaps we have become ill, or a loved one has. Maybe we have become homeless, or we cannot access a service. Perhaps a child of ours has been placed on the At Risk Register.
- Perhaps we are vulnerable because of our age.
- At The People's Advocacy Service we believe that we can all become vulnerable, and our service is available to you at those times.
- We focus our services on the most vulnerable person in any situation. The only time we would override confidentiality would be if we felt that a child or vulnerable adult was at risk.
- Providing you with legal representation or supporting you at court.
- Suing for financial damages or compensation.
- Welfare Rights support.
- Befriending.
- Counselling or Treatment.
We provide regular advocacy visits to:
- All acute wards at Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary.
- All acute mental health wards.
- Many NHS, Council and Independent sector Care Homes.
- Activity and Resource Centres.
- Community based Drop-In Centres run by the voluntary sector.
The Right to Advocacy.
We believe that all people who are faced with vulnerability are entitled to have an advocate, someone who can help them to say what they want, when relating to or seeking to access, services.
In addition, recent legislation in Scotland gives people the legal right to an independent advocate. This legislation includes the:
Mental Health (Care & Treatment)(Scotland)Act 2003
Additional Support for Learning(Scotland)Act.
Vulnerable Witnesses Act
Children Act
Adults With Incapacity Act 2000
Adult Support and Protection Act 2007
Under the Patient Focus and Public Involvement Strategy of NHS Scotland, access to Independent Advocacy for All Users of NHS Services is recommended. In Dumfries and Galloway we have a long tradition of providing this generic access to advocacy.
Our advocates have experience of supporting people at
- Mental Health Tribunals,
- Childrens Panel Hearings,
- Educational Reviews,
- Care Reviews
- and other formal settings.
We also have a great deal of experience in providing advocacy support to people who have complaints to make to Local Authorities, NHS or independent providers.
Under the Patient Focus and Public Involvement Strategy of NHS Scotland, access to Independent Advocacy for All Users of NHS Services is recommended. In Dumfries and Galloway we have a long tradition of providing this generic access to advocacy.
Advocacy is not, however, primarily about complaining or seeking confrontation. It is about
- communication,
- resolution
- and helping you to be heard.
