What is Independent Advocacy?

The work we do is always grounded in the following key principles.

• Independent Advocacy is about helping you to share your views, wishes and opinions about important decisions that are being made about your life, making sure that your rights are respected and upheld. It also helps you to find out more about different services that can help in your situation. Independent Advocacy is confidential*
• Advocacy worker will not make choices for you or tell you what to do; instead, they support you to make their own choices by getting information and looking at all of the options with you. If you are supported by us, you will be our Advocacy Partner.
• This means that we will only do what you agree with, and only share information with others if you are happy to do so. You are in control of your advocacy partnership and can end it any time.
• Independent Advocacy is about making sure that you know about your rights and how to use them. We stand by you to ensure that others respect your rights, and where your rights are infringed or ignored, we can help you.
• Our advocacy is completely independent, which means we are not connected with Social Workers, Health, Education, Family or any other professionals. We’re there just for you.
• Independent Advocacy is free.

For further information about Independent Advocacy, please check out the SIAA website here.

* If a child or adult is at risk, we have a duty to report this and will only break confidentiality in such cases.