Advocacy
What is advocacy?
Advocacy ensures people are able to:
- have their voice heard on issues that are important to them
- defend and safeguard their rights
- have their views and wishes genuinely considered when decisions are being made about their lives.
Advocacy is a process of supporting and enabling people to:
- express their views and concerns
- access information and services
- defend and promote their rights and responsibilities
- explore choices and options.
What advocacy services are available?
Advocacy services are provided by organisations that are completely independent from the Council and the NHS.
VoiceAbility
VoiceAbility Bradford supports adults who may have mental health issues, learning disabilities, dementia, acquired brain injury or other disability. They also work in some cases with children and with family carers.
VoiceAbility Bradford offers the following kinds of advocacy:
Statutory Advocacy, including
- Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy (IMCA) including Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and Paid Representatives
- Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA)
- Care Act Advocacy including Care Act Advocacy in Prison
You need a referral from a professional such as an NHS health worker or Social Care representative to access this range of services VoiceAbility Referral.
General Advocacy
General Advocacy will be provided to meet the needs of people who do not qualify for statutory advocacy but who do require advocacy support. People accessing the Service must be:
- using health or care services or;
- interacting with Council and statutory services (for example, experiencing homelessness, facing domestic violence or parents whose children are removed within the first few days of birth)
And require support to express their views or help in understanding the options available to them, for example individuals with limited education, resources, or social support. There should be clear evidence that access to the Service will promote and act as a preventative health and wellbeing intervention.
The Service is readily accessible to people eligible for general advocacy support through self-referral and referral from health and social care professionals.
Telephone: 0300 303 1600
Email: [email protected]
Website: VoiceAbility website
X: @voiceability
Cloverleaf Advocacy
Cloverleaf Advocacy provides advocacy support to anyone living in the Bradford District who wants to make a complaint about a service provided by the NHS.
What does an Independent Health Complaints Advocate do?
- Help the person understand the complaints process
- Support the person to make a complaint in writing
- Keep in touch with the person about progress with their complaint
- Attend complaints meetings with the person
- Help the person understand the outcome of their complaint
- Help people take their complaint to the Ombudsman if they are not happy with the result
Who can make a referral?
Anyone who wants support from an advocate
If you want to make a referral for someone else, you would need to get their permission first
To make a referral, or find out more about the support Cloverleaf can provide, please get in touch using the contact information below:
Telephone: 0300 012 4212
Email: [email protected]
Website: Cloverleaf website
X: @CloverleafAdvoc
Support from people with lived experience
Equality Together and its local partners can support you to take control of decisions about yourself and help you to tell others what you want.
Equality Together
Equality Together hosts several user groups and forums. You can come to these groups and meet other people who also want their voice to be heard. 1-2-1 peer support is also available.
Telephone: 01274 594173
Email: [email protected]
Website: Equality Together website