What is Advocacy

''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'' Irish Association of Advocates

Advocacy can support you to make sure that your views and wishes are heard.

The Advocate’s role is to

• listen to you to find out what you want

• help you find out information so that you can make an informed decision about your life choices

• support you in making decisions

• help you to tell other people what you want – this could be a family member, your PA, staff members, social workers, health workers or relatives.

Your advocate will always respect your views, help and support you wherever necessary and never collude with other agencies.

Advocacy is…

• About standing up for and sticking with a person or group and taking their side.

• A process of working towards natural justice.

• Listening to someone and trying to understand their point of view.

• Understanding their situation and what may be stopping them from getting what they want.

• Offering the person support to tell other people what they want or introducing them to others who may be able to help.

• Helping someone to know what choices they have and what the consequences of these choices might be.

• Enabling a person to have control over their life but taking up issues on their behalf if they want you to.
  
   

What is Advocacy?

What an Advocate can do

Advocacy is not

What an Advocate cannot do

The Advocacy Process

How to make a Referral

Advocate Contact Details

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