Advocacy - someone to speak on your behalf

Advocates are independent. They can sit in assessments and help you understand your rights and make sure you are listened to. Advocates do not work for the Council or the NHS.

When you have a social care assessment, it’s very important we hear everything you have to say. If you have trouble getting your thoughts across, an advocate is useful.

If you want an advocate, and you live in Derby, there is a service you can use. It is called ONE Advocacy Derby. They provide all independent statutory and non-statutory advocacy in Derby including, Independent Mental Health Advocacy, Independent Mental Capacity Advocate and Independent Complaints Advocacy.

Statutory advocacy means that you legally must have an advocate during a process like assessment. This might be because you have a learning disability or a mental health problem that means you cannot make your own decisions. Your social care worker will refer you to ONE Advocacy Derby if this applies to you.

Other types of advocacy include:

• self-advocacy - support to empower people to get their voices heard and make informed choices about their care and support
• citizen advocacy - trained volunteers and carers provide personalised support
• group advocacy - allows people with similar backgrounds to come together to have their voices heard
• community advocacy - advocates providing support out in Derby’s communities.

Referrals

To ask for advocacy support through ONE Advocacy Derby, please email referrals@oneadvocacyderby.org.