Advocacy means getting support from another person to help you express your views and wishes. Someone who helps you in this way is called your advocate.
How can an advocate help me?
An advocate can help you to:
- Understand the care and support process
- Talk about how you feel about your care
- Have your voices heard or represented during meetings or processes that involve decisions about you
- Challenge council decisions about your care and support if you do not agree with them
- Understand your rights
- Establish co-produced outcomes with each service user specific to their individual needs
Advocacy for All delivers the single point of access advocacy service in Bromley for residents who have been assessed by the local authority as meeting the eligibility criteria for social care services and some NHS services.
What does the advocacy service include?
Care Act advocacy
The Care Act advocates can support you with:
- A needs assessment
- A carer’s assessment
- A transition assessment
- The preparation and review of a care and support plan
- A safeguarding enquiry
- A safeguarding adult review
- To make a complaint if you are unhappy
Independent mental health advocacy (IMHA)
The IMHA will:
- Support people who are under section in hospital or the community in Bromley.
Independent mental capacity advocacy (IMCA)
The IMCA will support:
People who are assessed as lacking capacity about medical treatment. This service is inclusive of Deprivation of Liberty services, DoLS services and the Relevant Person Representative, RPR service.
Community mental health advocacy (CMHA)
The CMHA provides:
- Community, peer and citizen’s advocacy
- Mental health advocacy support for clients in Bromley and from the community
Independent health complaints advocacy (IHCA)
The IHCA will support:
- People to make a complaint if they have not had the service expected from a service provided or paid for by the NHS.
Children and young person’s advocacy
The children and young people advocate will:
- Support you with a care review
- Attend a conference with you or for you
- Help you speak to your social worker or the Chair of your conference
- Talk to you about your rights
- Help you to complain if you’re not happy about something to do with your care
Learning disability advocacy
The learning disability advocate will support young people aged 14-19 who have a learning disability and/or autism or Asperger syndrome. This includes:
- Support for young people with issues such as transition, education, housing, or support.
- Bromley Sparks a self-advocacy group run by people with a learning difficulty for people with a learning difficulty.
- Bromley Speaking Up Group for adults with learning difficulties who are in supported living or thinking of moving into supported living.
Who is eligible for advocacy services?
The advocacy service can be used by residents who have been assessed by the local authority as meeting the eligibility criteria for social care services and some NHS services. Those who meet the criteria are:
- eligible under the Care Act 2014;
- eligible for children and young people’s advocacy if they are either a child in need that does not have a parent or carer to help them or a care leaver or a looked after child
- experiencing a level of disability which impairs their ability to advocate on their own behalf;
- experiencing complex needs and are experiencing situations which they are unable to cope with without appropriate support;
- in the situation of having no known relatives or friends able to speak for them, or, have relatives whose views are in conflict with their own views.
Single point of access advocacy service
Bromley Council has commissioned Advocacy for All to deliver the single point of access advocacy service. The service will enable those eligible to easily get support to complete assessments and raise points around services they are accessing. The aim of the advocacy service is to provide a seamless, accessible service, where different forms of advocacy are delivered in a holistic and person-centred way to Bromley residents who meet the eligibility criteria for care services.
How can I request an advocate?
You can discuss your advocacy needs with an advocate by contacting Advocacy for All.
You can also complete a referral form on the Advocacy for All website.
You can also request an advocate by contacting adult social care and children's social care.