Advocacy
Advocates are independent professionals who with people to help them understand their rights and have their voices heard. Rethink Mental Illness describes five main types of advocacy services which may be relevant to people with mental health conditions and people caring for them (Rethink Mental Illness, 2023a):
- Independent mental health advocacy: supports people who are detained in hospital under the Mental Health Act, or are on a Community Treatment Order, to understand their rights and medication.
- Independent mental capacity advocacy: supports people who have been assessed as lacking mental capacity to make decisions and work out what their best interests are.
- NHS complaints advocacy: provides support and advice to people making complaints to the NHS.
- Care Act advocacy: supports people who are being assessed under the Care Act who have difficulties being involved in decisions about their social care and support.
- Generic advocacy: provides a range of support, such as with attending meetings and getting your voice heard.
In Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, the main advocacy service is Voiceability.
Voiceability
Voiceability services are about empowerment, giving people with disabilities the opportunity to speak up for their rights and make positive changes to their lives. Voiceability provides independent advocacy support for people making complaints and for people sectioned under the Mental Health Act.
In April to June 2023, 361 new advocacy cases were opened in Cambridgeshire and 199 in Peterborough. The most common themes for the service were:
- Care Act (Care Review)
- General Advocacy (Community Mental Health Advocacy)
- IMCA (Long-Term Accommodation)
- IMHA (Rights)
- NHS Complaints (Formal Complaint)
- Relevant Person’s Representative (RPR) (Represent/Support Client)
Voiceability also runs the TotalVoice advocacy service, in partnership with Cambridgeshire Deaf Association and the National Youth Advocacy Service; as well as Speak Out Council, which acts as a voice for people with a learning disability and autistic people aged 14 or above.
National Youth Advocacy Service
The National Youth Advocacy Service (NYAS) provide advocacy for children and young people in Cambridgeshire who are Looked After or In Need; or unaccompanied or seeking asylum; or who have special educational needs or disabilities (SEND).
Additional resources
References
Full list of references is included at the end of this chapter.