What is an advocate?
Advocates help people and carers to:
- Speak up for themselves
- Get their voice heard
- Understand their rights
- Find and understand information
- Make decisions about what they need
- Tell people like family, social workers and doctors what they want
There are different types of advocacy.
This includes:
- Self-advocacy – people speaking up for themselves
- Peer and voluntary advocacy – people with lived experience and other volunteer advocates
- Professional advocacy – people paid to advocate on behalf of others
What is an independent advocate?
The Council must involve people in decisions made about them and their care and support. We need to help people understand their options and to make their own decisions.
Some people have family and friends who can help them speak up for themselves. Others may need an ‘independent advocate’. An independent advocate has had specialist training to make sure they do a good job.
There are 'statutory duties' that tell us when we need to involve an independent advocate.
Adults Advocacy Service
The Adults Advocacy Service contract started in June 2020.
The Advocacy People deliver the service which includes the following:
- An Advocacy Hub – a single point of access to advocacy and signposting
- Community Advocacy – support to self-advocate and peer/volunteer advocates
- Specialist Advocacy – paid non-statutory advocacy
- Independent Advocacy – paid statutory advocacy
- Advocacy Training - training on advocacy principles
Further information including contact details are available on the The Advocacy People website.
Engagement and consultation
From June 2019 until September 2019 we talked to lots of people about what advocacy we need in Cornwall. Please find a copy of the report summarising the findings below.