VoiceAbility Cambridgeshire and Peterborough

VoiceAbility support people with additional needs to

• understand their rights and options,
• make decisions, and
• be heard when they face a challenge or issue.

What does an advocate do?

Your advocate will:

• listen to what you think about what’s happening to you
• help you say what you want and don’t want
• help you understand information about your situation
• explain your options
• plan with you about what to do next

Your advocate will not:

• offer counselling or befriending
• offer legal advice
• make decisions for you
• tell you what to do

Types of support an advocate might help with include if you are detained (‘sectioned’), in hospital, or in prison; support at care assessments; challenging a decision; and complaining about NHS care. See their website for more information.

If at any point you need support that your advocate cannot offer, they can help you find out if there is someone who can.

This support is for people living in and registered at a GP in Cambridgeshire or Peterborough, who are over 18 (or aged 16-18 and severely or profoundly deaf), and who are using adult care services or mental health services. They can also support carers of someone using these services. If someone is not eligible for statutory advocacy, they may be able to access general advocacy.

For professionals: there’s a nice overview of who, when and why to refer a client for advocacy, and a page with more detailed information plus a link to the referal process.