Do you need support to say what matters to you and understand your rights?
We can help you if you need an advocate in lots of different situations.
Please call our Advocacy service on 01606 331853 to find out how we can help, or click the links below.
We can help with the following types of advocacy:
General Advocacy
If you need help saying what you want and understanding what your rights are, we can help.
Our Advocates can support you with difficulties with things like housing, benefits appeals, education appeals, children’s welfare, and to support you to write letters and to attend meetings.
To use this service, you need to:
- have (or care for someone who has) lived experience of disability or a long-term health condition
- want help from an advocate
- live in Cheshire
You will also have the opportunity to take part in our research. We want to understand how your advocacy needs have changed during and after the Coronavirus pandemic, to help us gain new understanding and evidence, to further develop our general advocacy service.
We are pleased to be able to offer this service thanks to the National Lottery Community Fund.
Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy (IMCA)
Including Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS)
If you have been assessed as not able to make important decisions (usually this is called ‘lacking capacity’) our advocates can help you.
To use our service you need to be:
- Aged 16 or over
- Assessed as lacking capacity to make decisions about medical treatment, accommodation, adult protection cases or care or involved in the Deprivation of Liberty Assessment Process (DoLS)
Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA)
Are you being treated under the Mental Health Act?
Do you need help with saying what you want in respect of your care and treatment?
Our Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) Service is for people who have a legal right to an advocate because of their circumstances.
To use our service you need to be:
- Aged 16 and over
- Being treated under the Mental Health Act
- Require assistance with having your voice heard about your care and treatment
Not everybody is entitled to IMHA support, if you are unsure whether you are entitled to the assistance of an IMHA, please contact us for advice.
Care Act Advocacy
If you have care and support needs and need help saying what you want and understanding what your rights are, we can help.
Our Care Act Advocates can support care assessments, care and support planning, care reviews, safeguarding enquiries, safeguarding reviews and submit appeals for you.
To use this service you need to:
- Be aged 16 and over
- Have care and support needs
Continuing Healthcare (CHC) Advocacy
If you are struggling to understand healthcare funding issues under Continuing Healthcare, we can help.
Our Continuing Healthcare (CHC) advocates can give support and representation in challenging continuing healthcare funding issues, and help you to make the right decisions.
To use this service you need to:
- Be aged 18 or over
- Be in need of support and representation in challenging continuing healthcare funding issues.
Child Protection and Family Support Advocacy
Child Protection and Family Support advocacy is for parents or carers who might find it difficult to understand children’s services, education services and the legal system because of a learning disability, mental health problem or communication need.
An advocate can help a local authority to meet its public sector duties under the Equality Act, to make reasonable adjustments for a disabled person.
What do we offer?
We offer advocacy for Parents and Carers through processes such as Section 47 enquiries, child protection conferences, core groups, care reviews, EHCP’s, educational tribunals and court proceedings.
Our Advocates can:
- Help the parent/carer to understand and participate in child protection processes
- Go to court with the parent or carer, helping them to understand the proceedings and communicating with their appointed lawyer
- Help the parent or carer to ask professionals questions
- Help the parent or carer express their point of view
- Go to meetings if the parent or carer is unable to, or if they need support to attend
- Help the parent or carer to understand decisions made about their child’s care
To make a referral:
Email: advocacy@disabilitypositive.org
Call: 01606 331 853 (ask for advocacy)
