Someone to Speak on Your Behalf
There may be a time when you need someone to speak on your behalf but will express your views and wishes.
This is called advocacy and safeguards people who might be vulnerable or who don't feel confident in speaking up for themselves. An advocate should speak only for the person who has appointed them and therefore should be independent from organisations such as social care and health.
If you need advice on money or legal issues, there are a number of organisations who can speak on your behalf to help you get the support you need.
Please visit these external websites for more information:
ASIST website|
Birmingham Institute for the Deaf|
Mencap|
Do you have any useful advice or experiences that could help others? Tell the website Editor| or talk to other people|.
Your advice
Peter from Codsall. Pete suffers from multiple sclerosis.
“My wife used to deal with all our legal and finance issues but she died suddenly last year. I wanted to stay in my own home but didn’t know what to do without my wife.
I got in touch with an advocacy service who sent someone the following week. Rachel, my advocate, helped me to understand my financial situation and helped me contact the relevant agencies and organisations.
Having an advocate took away a lot of the worry and anxiety and made things a lot easier.”
Peter's story is for illustrative purposes only. Do you have any useful advice or experiences you can share with others? Send the editor your advice and experiences|