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#IAMHUMAN

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Advocacy

We believe that everyone should be treated with respect and as an individual with the opportunity to make informed decisions about their life.

Our Advocacy services aim to support people to have their voice heard and their views and wishes and individual needs taken in to account in decision making processes. It ensures that people are treated fairly and are not subject to discrimination or unfair treatment.

Onside provides a range of advocacy services:

  • Community Advocacy available to adults across both Herefordshire and Worcestershire who may be vulnerable or face disadvantage. This service provides short term support, provided by ONSIDE volunteers, at one off appointments, benefit tribunals and medical assessments
  • Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) available to adults across both Herefordshire and Worcestershire who are subject to detention under the Mental Health Act.
  • Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy (IMCA) available to adults across both Herefordshire and Worcestershire who lack capacity to make decisions concerning changes in accommodation or serious medical treatment.
  • Relevant Persons Representative (RPR) available to adults from across both Herefordshire and Worcestershire who are deprived of their liberty in care homes or hospitals to ensure their rights under the Mental Capacity Act are respected and upheld.
  • NHS Complaints - Independent Health Complaints Advocacy (IHCA) available to anyone across both Herefordshire and Worcestershire who has a complaint about their NHS care and treatment.
  • Care Act Advocacy available to adults across Herefordshire and Worcestershire who would have substantial difficulty in being involved in their own care and support process and who don’t have another appropriate person to provide this support.

What can an advocate do?

The role will vary according to circumstances and needs within the different services, but is likely to include the following:

  • Obtaining information, advice and guidance, ensuring it is accessible and understandable.
  • Helping people to identify and understand options, supporting them to make decisions.
  • Support in meetings and through other formal processes.
  • Support to make representations and complaints.
  • Supporting people to access professional advice and guidance.
  • Supporting the person to express their views and wishes or representing them where they are not able to do so.
  • Promoting and protecting the rights and interests of people not able to give clear instructions or protect their own interests.

Our advocates are fully trained and supported to carry out their role working within all appropriate policies and guidelines including, safeguarding, confidentiality and data protection. They are also supported by Onside’s Quality Matters Framework which includes adherence to the National Advocacy Charter and other quality standards including ISO 9001.

Our Advocacy Services Poster can be downloaded here

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