Advocacy for Stoke-on-Trent residents

This service can provide support to people with physical disabilities, learning disabilities and/or mental health conditions. The service is available to adults who are from an ethnic or minority background and aged 18 years or over. There is no upper age limit.

Advocates are allocated to work alongside people who are referred to the service and where there is a specific issue, or issues, that the person feels they need advocacy support to resolve. Generally, although not exclusively, advocates provide support to people who need assistance to understand their options and assert their views, choices and opinions in relation to services they are receiving from health and social care. An advocate can support people to:

• find information about their options
• discuss and understand their situation and the choices available to them
• speak up; by supporting them at meetings and reviews, including those with health and social care services and helping people to write letters or make calls.

Advocacy is free to access and confidential, however there may be a small wait for an advocate to be allocated.