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Advocacy

Advocacy means having someone who will speak up on your behalf. An advocate can help express your views and wishes, secure your rights and represent your interests.

If you are a young person or a parent and you are finding it hard to get your point across, advocacy might be an option. 

Depending on your age and circumstances there are a number of options.

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Advocacy for parents of children and young people

In the first instance, it may be worth contacting SENDIASS who can provide impartial information, advice and support.

Depending on your circumstances, if needed, SENDIASS can provide advocacy support for parents and young people.

Website: www.sendiasscamden.co.uk/ 
Telephone: 020 7974 6264
Email: SENDIASS@camden.gov.uk

 

Advocacy for young people with SEND

In the first instance, it may be worth contacting SENDIASS who can provide impartial information, advice and support. As a young person, you can access this support and ask for advice yourself independent of your parents if you wish.

Depending on your circumstances, if needed, SENDIASS can provide advocacy.

Website: www.sendiasscamden.co.uk/ 
Telephone: 020 7974 6264
Email: SENDIASS@camden.gov.uk

Advocacy for ‘Looked after children’ (11-18)

A child is 'looked after' if they are in the care of the Local Authority.

Camden has an Advocacy service specifically for disabled young people provided by Wac Arts.

For more information, click here.

Care Act Independent Advocacy (18+)

The council must involve people in decisions made about them and their care and support including assessments, developing care and support plans and any safeguarding concerns.

Some people may have significant difficulty in being involved in these processes and do not have an appropriate individual to support them.

If a person (including carers) meets both of these criteria then the council must provide an independent advocate to assist them throughout the process.

For more information, contact Rethink.

Independent Mental Capacity Advocates (IMCA) (16+)

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.

For more information, contact Rethink.

Independent Mental Health Advocates (IMHA) (18+)

The Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) service provides independent advocacy for people with mental health issues who are under section or are based in the community.

The council must provide access to an IMHA if a person is sectioned under the Mental Health Act, subject to guardianship under the act, is in receipt of a community treatment order or has been conditionally discharged.

For more information, contact Rethink.

NHS Complaints Advocacy (Any age)

The NHS Complaints Advocacy Service is a free, independent and confidential service that can helps people make complaints about the National Health Service (NHS).

Any person has a right to complain about the NHS as long as that complaint is reasonable.

For more information, contact POhWER.

Learning Disability Advocacy (18+)

People with learning disabilities may have difficulty being involved in certain processes, and therefore require the assistance of specialist advocates who can help.

This assistance can range from providing appropriate communication tools such as Makaton to ensuring people have sufficient time to absorb the relevant information, come to an informed decision and voice their opinion.

Read their leaflet here, or for more information, contact POhWER

More information and other advocacy providers

  • To search for other organisations in Camden who provide advocacy support, you can click here.
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