Guide to advocacy

Advocacy is concerned with ensuring that people, particularly those most vulnerable in our society, are enabled to express their views, wishes and feelings, either directly or through a competent and independent voice. Advocates work to ensure that the rights of vulnerable people are safeguarded and their voices heard and genuinely considered as part of the decision-making process.

Advocacy is:

• Independent - not part of statutory or other services
• Confidential - unless something of a life-threatening nature is disclosed, or in other limited circumstances confidentiality will never be breached (please ask for a copy of our confidentiality policy)
• Empowering - the client is in control of the advocacy process and no decisions are ever made without their express consent
• Not concerned with making a judgement about the person's best interests - the client is the expert on their life and it is their view of what they wish to happen that the advocate will act upon

Advocates will:

• Plan from the person's definition of the situation
• Work towards an acceptable outcome for the person
• Recognise the person as having the most specialised knowledge of their life, views, wishes and needs
• Provide information and help the person explore their options, to enable them to make an informed decision, without influence.

The ultimate aim of advocacy is always to enable people to advocate on their own behalf, and to see statutory, voluntary and private service providers develop their services in a way which places the views, wishes and feelings of those who use them, firmly at the centre.

SEAP is committed to working with service providers from all sectors to this end.