Someone to speak on my behalf

Having someone to speak on your behalf is often known as advocacy.

Advocacy means having someone who will express your views and wishes, secure your rights and represent your interests. It safeguards people who are vulnerable by speaking up for them. It enables people with physical or learning disabilities, older people and those with mental health needs to make informed choices and decisions about their own health and social care.

Advocacy helps you to access information and services, like benefit entitlement, and to explore choices and options. Advocacy is completely independent from the organisations that provide social care services. Advocates act only according to the wishes of the person they are speaking for. They do not take their own view of what is best, or try to influence the person to make a different choice. Advocacy services are not offered by the Council but there are a number of local organisations that can act as independent advocates.

What is the Independent Mental Capacity Advocate (IMCA) Service?

The Independent Mental Capacity Advocate (IMCA) Service provides an independent safeguard to support particularly vulnerable people who lack capacity to make important decisions and who have no-one to act for them.

The Council must consult an IMCA when making decisions for a person who lacks mental capacity.

Other types of advocacy available:

Self Advocacy helps people speak up for themselves, with help and support if needed. Wigan and Leigh People First is a self advocacy group for people with learning disabilities. See below for contact details.

Citizen Advocacy  matches people with volunteer partners who are members of their local community. Partnerships are intended to be long-term supportive one-to-one relationships. Citizen advocacy can help with specific situations.

Formal, Professional or Crisis Advocacy  is provided for a period of time to work on a particular issue. Paid advocates focus on a task and can work on a wide range of issues.

Family and Friend Advocacy  happens on a daily basis by family members or support workers and is not time limited. It is informal and used most often for children and people with profound disabilities. Sometimes this type of advocacy goes unrecognised.

Legal Advocates  usually have specialist knowledge and training; they can be lawyers or advice workers. They often represent people in formal settings, such as courts, tribunals or complaint processes and give advice and express opinion about the best course of action.

Best Interests (Non Instructed) Advocacy  is where an advocate represents what he or she feels a person's wishes would be, if they were able to express them. Some mental health advocates are trained to do 'best interests' work with those clients with dementia who are no longer able to communicate clearly. This type of advocacy is provided by Independent Mental Capacity Advocates (IMCA's) under the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

A Circle of Support  is a group of friends and a facilitator who work together to ensure a person in need of support has a good and full life. They form close friendships and make sure all support and emotional needs are met. The circle also provides parents with the reassurance that in the event of them dying their loved one will still continue to be supported and looked after, by people who care.

To access advocacy services, contact any of the organisations listed below.

Useful contacts

Wigan & Leigh People First
Address: The Song Room, Bishopgate, Wigan, WN1 1NL
Phone: 07788 507428 or 01942 233353
Web: www.wiganandleighpeoplefirst.co.uk
Email: wiganandleighpeoplefirst@yahoo.co.uk

Citizens Advice Bureau (Leigh)
Address: 6 The Avenue, Leigh, WN7 1ES
Phone: 01942 267963 (Helpline) 0844 826 9713
Web: www.wigancab.org

Citizens Advice Bureau (Wigan)
Address: Winstanley House, Crawford Street, Wigan, WN1 1NA
Phone: 01942 267963 (Helpline) 0844 826 9713
Web: www.wigancab.org

Age UK Wigan Borough
Address: 68 Market Street, Wigan, WN1 1HX
Phone: 01942 241972
Fax: 01942 615893
Web: www.ageukwiganborough.org.uk
Email: enquiries@ageukwiganborough.org.uk