Advocacy – a definition

Advocacy promotes social inclusion, equality and social justice by empowering people. It enables them to express their personal views and needs, thereby achieving their rights and entitlements. It also assists people in securing relevant information and knowledge, enabling them to make informed choices.

One to One Advocacy

At LAMP we find that carers and service users need to know what advocacy means for them and what it will deliver.

Carers seek out individual advocacy for many reasons, including:

• diagnosis, medication, treatment
• accessing services
• accessing information and support
• carers’ assessments
• care planning
• dealing with professionals
• ward rounds
• complaints
• Mental Health tribunals and managers’ panels

Sometimes carers will want an advocate to speak on their behalf (expressing their views) and other times they just want an advocate to be with them giving them moral support to voice their views for themselves.

Group Advocacy

At LAMP, we have found that many carers who have received individual advocacy come to recognise that they deserve something for themselves and want to move into a group.

A group setting enables carers to move forward even more, to share information, support others in a similar boat, and develop coping skills.

Carers often find it really helpful to know they are not the only ones facing their situations and that there are other people they can share their experiences with.

Group advocacy is not just a talking shop, it is very much about people finding their own solutions to the situation they are in and building peer support and friendship.

Accessing Advocacy Support

If you think you may benefit from carers advocacy please contact LAMP’s carers advocate, on 0116 2556286.

Other advocacy services include:

• Alzheimer's Society County Advocacy Service
• Alzheimer's Society City Advocacy Service
• Clasp
• Carefree Young Carers Services (Barnardos)