Advocacy
A4e 
Telephone: 0800 345 666
A4e Dudley
5th Floor, Trident House, Trident Centre, Wolverhampton Street, Dudley, West Midlands, DY1 1DB
Telephone: 01384 215426
A4e East Sussex
A4e Charter House, Courtlands Road , Eastbourne , East Sussex, BN22 8UY
Telephone: 01323 414674
A4e London
A4e Independent Living Services, 82 Borough High Street, London, London (South East), SE1 1LL
Telephone: 020 7407 7815
A4e North Tyneside
Unit 1, Evans Business Centre , Orion Business Park, Tyne Tunnel Trading Estate , North Shields , Tyne and Wear, NE29 7SN
Telephone: 0191 258 8930
A4e Oxfordshire
A4e Emergency Carers Support Service, North Oxford Business Centre , 17, Lakesmere Close, Station Field Industrial Estate , Kidlington, Oxfordshire, OX5 1LG
Telephone: 01865 374430
A4e Plymouth
Unit 23, Mary Seacole Road, Millfields , Plymouth , Devon, PL1 3JY
Telephone: 01752 267 027
A4e Rotherham
Lower Ground Floor, South Grove House, Alma Road, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, S60 2AN
Telephone: 01709 361612
A4e Sheffield
Sheffield Direct Payments Team, 2nd Floor, Queens House , Queen Street, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S1 1GN
Telephone: 0114 289 4751
A4e South Gloucestershire
Kingswood House, South Road, Kingswood, Bristol, Gloucestershire, BS15 8JF
Telephone: 0117 9679540
A4e Stockton
Enterprise House, 6 - 8 Yarm Road, Stockton-on-Tees, Durham, TS18 3NA
Telephone: 01642 632935
A4e Taunton 
2nd Floor Victoria House, Victoria Street, Taunton, Somerset, TA1 3FA
Telephone: 01823 339494
Action for Blind People
Exeter, Devon
Telephone: 01392 332818 / 07793443568
Age Concern Devon
East Devon, Exeter, South Hams and Teignbridge, Devon
Telephone: 0845 2967 810
Age Concern Lytchett Minster & Upton
Silver Birches, Eldons Drive, Lytchett Matravers, Poole, Dorset, BH16 6HH
Age Concern North Dorset
Office 4, The Exchange, Old Market Hill, Sturminster Newton, Dorset, DT10 1 FH
Telephone: 01258 473038
Age Concern Poole
Community Hall, Old Rope Walk, Hamworthy, Poole, Dorset, BH15 4AU
Advocacy is taking action to help people say what they want, secure their rights, represent their interests and obtain services they need. Advocates and advocacy schemes work in partnership with the people they support and take their side. Advocacy promotes social inclusion, equality and social justice. (Action for Advocacy)
Advocacy can help people become more aware of their own rights, to exercise those rights and be involved in and influence decisions that are being made about their future. Crucially advocacy can empower people to speak up for themselves.
Independent or Impartial?
People feel more able to speak to someone who does not have any control over their care or access to services. This makes it important that advocates are independent of those services.
Advocates are not impartial. They are there to express their client’s wishes as if they were their own. An advocate’s first duty is to support their client. It is important those advocates stay, and are seen to be, independent of those services.
Clarity Of Purpose
The advocacy scheme will have clearly stated aims and objectives and be able to demonstrate how it meets the principles contained in this Charter. Advocacy schemes will ensure that people they advocate for, service providers and funding agencies have information on the scope and limitations of the schemes’ role.
Putting People First
The advocacy scheme will ensure that the wishes and interests of the people they advocate for direct advocates’ work. Advocates should be non-judgmental and respectful of peoples’ needs, views and experiences. Advocates will ensure that information concerning the people they advocate for is shared with these individuals.
Empowerment
The advocacy scheme will support self-advocacy and empowerment through its work. People who use the scheme should have a say in the level of involvement and style of advocacy support they want. Schemes will ensure that people who want to, can influence and be involved in the running and management of the scheme.
Equal Opportunity
The advocacy scheme will have a written equal opportunities policy that recognises the need to be proactive in tackling all forms of inequality, discrimination and social exclusion. The scheme will have in place systems for the fair and equitable allocation of advocates’ time.
Accountability
The advocacy scheme will have in place systems for the effective monitoring and evaluation of its work. All those who use the scheme will have a named advocate and a means of contacting them.
Accessability
Advocacy will be provided free of charge to eligible people. The advocacy scheme will aim to ensure that its premises, policies, procedures and publicity materials promote access for the whole community.
Confidentiality
The advocacy scheme will have a written policy on confidentiality, stating that information known about a person using the scheme is confidential to the scheme and any circumstances under which confidentiality might be breached. The advocacy scheme will be structurally independent from statutory organisations and preferably from all service provider agencies. The advocacy scheme will be as free from conflict of interest as possible both in design and operation, and actively seek to reduce conflicting interests.
Supporting Advocates
The advocacy scheme will ensure advocates are prepared, trained and supported in their role and provided with opportunities to develop their skills and experience.
Complaints
The advocacy scheme will have a written policy describing how to make complaints or give feedback about the scheme or about individual advocates. Where necessary, the scheme will enable people who use its services to access external independent support to make or pursue a complaint.
Editorial from: The Advocacy Charter. Developed in 2002 by Advocacy Across London (AAL). An accessible leaflet is available from here (to the publication section of Action For Advocacy’s website)To access more information about Action For Advocacy: Tel: 020 7820 7868 | info@actionforadvocacy.org.uk
Counsel + Care
Counsel and Care is the national charity working with older people, their families and carers to get the best care and support.
Advice and information »
Counsel and Care’s independent, dedicated and sympathetic Advice Service offers information and support to around 250,000 older people, their families and carers a year. We can advise on a range of community care issues, including finding and paying for care, welfare benefits, and hospital discharge.
Policy Influencing & Campaigning »
The Policy and Communications Team at Counsel and Care works to influence government, the media and other stakeholders to get the best care and support for older people. Older people’s concerns and experiences reported to our advice service inform our campaigning work. Our independence means that we are able to campaign and lobby on more controversial issues.Fundraising »
Counsel and Care relies entirely on the generosity of the public for income, as we receive very little statutory funding. Without your generous donations and legacies we would be unable to continue our valuable work. You can help ensure that no older person has to live in poverty, social isolation and difficulty by supporting Counsel and Care with a donation or remembering us in your will.
Working in Partnership »
Counsel and Care’s expert advice and information service can partner with other organisations including local authorities, healthcare providers, housing associations and employers to help them meet the care and support needs of residents, patients, tenants and employees.
Advice Line: 0845 300 7585
OPAAL DVD - Voices for Older People’s Advocacy
OPAAL UK has launched a DVD called Voices for Older Peoples Advocacy. The DVD can be used to:
Introduce advocacy to older people who know nothing about it, including those who are considering whether an advocate could benefit them. Introduce advocacy to people who are considering training as citizen advocates themselves. To provide information to groups for example, with a group of social work students, a tenants association, or a neighbourhood planning group where there is a good opportunity to promote independent advocacy.
OPAAL UK are keen to ensure a wide audience
for this work so do not make a charge for the DVD. However as they are hoping
to further their Multi-Media work with older people they would welcome
donations.
Postage and packing costs £1.50 for one DVD. If you require multiple copies
please contact the administrator Jo Swinswood at jo@bjf.org.uk to obtain the
correct price to meet your request. Tel: 01782 844036.
CareAware
The CareAware Advocacy Service provides a ‘one stop’ facility to answer all of your care funding questions. The Advocacy service can provide information, advice and guidance on:
- Understanding social services assessment procedures
- Sourcing appropriate home care services and support
- Finding and selecting a suitable care home
- Establishing entitlement to state benefits
- Maximising support from the local authority
- Paying care fees, protecting assets
- Ensuring your wishes are respected and using Enduring/Lasting Power of Attorney or equivalent
Tel: 0161 707 1107 | www.careaware.co.uk
FirstStop
In response to demand, four of the UK’s leading advice services have come together to launch the first ever joined up advisory service to provide through a single telephone number and website, a free, independent and good quality advice and information service about housing and care options for older people, their families and carers.
FirstStop provided jointly by Help the Aged, Elderly Accommodation Counsel, Counsel and Care and NHFA Care Fees Advice will be able to deliver advice and information in the areas which most older people will need advice about: Money and benefits, Care in any setting, from your own home to a care home, Housing options from adapting your own home or choosing retirement housing to care homes.
Tel: 0800 377 7070 | www.firststopcareadvice.org.uk
