Someone to speak on my behalf

Having someone to speak on your behalf is often known as advocacy.

Advocacy means having someone who will express your views and wishes, secure your rights and represent your interests. It safeguards people who are vulnerable by speaking up for them. It enables people with physical or learning disabilities, older people and those with mental health needs to make informed choices and decisions about their own health and social care.

Advocacy helps you to access information and services, like benefit entitlement, and to explore choices and options. Advocacy is completely independent from the organisations that provide social care services. Advocates act only according to the wishes of the person they are speaking for. They do not take their own view of what is best, or try to influence the person to make a different choice. Advocacy services are not offered by the Council but there are a number of local organisations that can act as independent advocates and their contact details are below.

What is the Independent Mental Capacity Advocate (IMCA) Service?

The Independent Mental Capacity Advocate (IMCA) Service provides an independent safeguard to support particularly vulnerable people who lack capacity to make important decisions and who have no-one to act for them.

The council must consult an IMCA when making decisions for a person who lacks mental capacity. Advocacy Experience, an independent provider of professional advocacy services to people in a range of healthcare settings, now provides this service on behalf of the Council.

Age UK's Information and Advice Service

Age UK's information and advice service is a free independent service offered to people over the age of 65 years. Their aim is to voice your concerns, express your wishes and protect your rights. They accept referrals from the person themselves or anyone who knows them, with their agreement.   

Speak Out Council

The Speak Out Council is a user-led consultative action forum. It provides much needed representation for vulnerable people including hard-to-reach groups such as those who do not attend traditional services. The Council is run by four Speak Out Leaders with learning disabilities who represent their peers, with support from VoiceAbility.

Advicehub

Advicehub is a partnership initiative led by the four Citizens Advice Bureaux of Cambridgeshire and supported by the Big Lottery Fund.  They have developed a central point of advice that will service the needs of the growing population of Cambridgeshire and beyond.

The Advicehub has brought together over 20 advice agencies from all over the county, who are working together to increase people's access to specialist advice services when and where they need it most.

Organisations you can contact 

Advicehub
Disability Cambridgeshire
Disability Huntingdonshire
Our Voice
Cambridgeshire Deaf Association
Camsight
Age UK Cambridgeshire
Grandparents Association
Domestic Violence
Ethnic Community Forum Cambridge
VoiceAbility