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Edspace Fact Sheet

Advocacy

What is Advocacy?

Advocacy is about having somebody to help you be heard, it is about having a greater say in decisions being made about you and your care and treatment.

An advocate:

  • is there for you and nobody else
  • helps you get information you need to make decisions
  • speaks up for you and only says what you want
  • helps you get your views over to others

Individual Advocacy

Individual Advocacy is about a person having somebody called an advocate to help them have more influence over decisions being made about their lives. For example, an advocate can help you prepare and go with you to a meeting about your treatment or support. Having your advocate can help you have a stronger voice.

How to decide which Individual Advocacy Organisation to use in Edinburgh

There are five projects providing individual advocacy in Edinburgh. Here are some suggestions about how you can decide which is best for you.

Where are you?
  • If you are in hospital, you should contact AdvoCard
  • If you are living in the community you should contact AdvoCard.
  • If you are living in the community and have dementia or know someone who has dementia, you should contact EARS
Are you facing the possibility of compulsory treatment?
Are you supporting someone with a mental health problem?

Collective Advocacy

Collective Advocacy is about people with similar experiences getting together to try to change things for the better. For example, it can enable people to have influence on what kinds of services are available. By making use of their shared experiences, they can have a much stronger voice and be more influential than they can as individuals.

How to Choose which Collective Advocacy Project

  • For help with user involvement, consultation or setting up a user group, contact CAPS.
  • If you are interested in joining a service user group, you can join EUF and/or the Patient’s Council. EUF focuses on community services, and the Patient’s Council on hospital services.
  • If you support someone who has a mental health problem and want to make your voice heard in relation to mental health services and support for carers, contact Edinburgh Carers Council.

The Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003

The Act gives people who experience mental health difficulties the right to access independent advocacy services. This applies to both individual and collective advocacy.

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Related Services

Links to Services in the Edspace database that may be of interest

Useful Web Links

These web sites may be useful. Please note that we are not responsible for external sites; if you find any broken links or inappropriate content please report it to the site administrators using the feedback page.
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  • New WindowCAPS Advocacy
  • New WindowAdvocard
    Advocard provides advocacy to individuals who are experiencing or have experienced mental ill health and who live in the community in Edinburgh. This means they support people to be heard to have a greater say in decisions made about their lives and their care and treatment.
  • New WindowPatients Council - Royal Edinburgh Hospital
    The Patients Council was set up 15 years ago and continues to be based in the Royal Edinburgh Hospital. It facilitates collective advocacy for patients and former patients of the hospital, bringing about change in the way that services and treatment are provided.
  • New WindowEdinburgh Users Forum
    Edinburgh Users Forum is for people living in the city of Edinburgh who use, or have used mental health services.
  • New WindowPartners in Advocacy
    Partners in Advocacy provide a range of free & independent advocacy services - including advocacy services for children & young people. With offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow & Dundee

Factsheet last updated on 29/6/2010