SERVICE DETAILS
COVID-19 UPDATE FROM PARTNERS IN ADVOCACY
Partners in Advocacy are continuing to deliver advocacy services during the Covid-19 pandemic. Subject to Public Health guidance and our own risk assessment, we may be able to meet our advocacy partners face-to-face, and where we cannot, we will offer advocacy support via phone, email, or other digital platforms. Please contact us for further information.
Group/collective advocacy
- Older people with a shared goal
- People with physical disability with a shared goal
Collective Advocacy support groups meet regularly to explore issues, develop confidence for mentors to speak up for themselves, support one another and take action.
What is advocacy...
Advocacy is about sticking up for people who are at risk of being excluded, ignored or mistreated. It’s about helping people to find out about options, make choices and tell other people what they want to happen. It’s about making sure that people are fully involved in decisions that affect their lives – and that other people listen to them and take their views into account.
Collective advocacy brings people together who have a common interest. It aims to provide a supportive environment in which a group can explore this interest, identify goals and seek possible solutions.
Experiences of this shared interest can be discussed openly and in a format that suits all. This may mean holding sessions via email, skype, but ideally in a physical setting.
Independent collective advocacy uses the same principles as individual independent advocacy and applies those to a group setting.
A Collective Advocacy Worker will endeavour to aid the group in gaining awareness of their choices, highlighting options that may not have been considered whilst embracing the groups own direction.
Communicating views and wishes directly to those making decisions affecting them and in doing so supporting participants to look at ways they might better influence aspects of their lives.
EXAMPLE OF COLLECTIVE ADVOCACY
Independent collective advocacy relies on its members to guide its direction. For example, within one group, members were upset because they were experiencing bullying and/or theft. This led to people sharing experiences, discussing how they felt, and sharing ideas of what to do.
The group then invited local community police officers to come along and talk about hate crime. This allowed the group to be better informed and supported in taking forward such issues.
Referrals...
If you would like to make a referral please call 0131 478 7723. Our Duty Advocate would be happy to take your call.
WHO SHOULD MAKE A REFERRAL?
At Partners in Advocacy we take referrals from a broad range of people from, individuals themselves, to family, to professionals. In general, anyone can refer a person to Partners in Advocacy.
