Your advocate can:
- meet you in private
- talk to your family, friends and paid carers and look at your records if you agree (if you’re unable to agree, they’ll do what they think is in your best interests)
- be at meetings with social workers and care workers
They can help you to:
- understand what is happening and what will happen next
- tell us your opinions, wishes and feelings
- understand how a care plan can help you, what you can get in a care plan and where else you can get help with your care and other things you need
- weigh up all your options and choose what’s best for you
- know and understand your rights to care
- challenge any of our decisions about your care
An advocate won’t make decisions for you. They must listen to what you want and help you to make the decisions.
Speaking for you
The advocate will speak for you if they think your care plan doesn’t give you the care that you need and if you aren’t able to speak for yourself because you ‘lack mental capacity’.
You may lack mental capacity because, for example, you have:
- dementia
- had a serious brain injury or illness
- a learning disability