The Advocacy Plus approach is applicable for anyone who relies on social care support. This approach developed out of our experience of working with a range of individuals seeking to get the best outcomes for themselves or their relatives in the context of self-directed support at a time of conflict: the experience of people and families feeling at best marginalised and bewildered by the struggles they have faced, and at worst discriminated against.

People find their way to Advocacy Plus in a number of ways which include referrals from organisations working with Self-Directed Support and government funded SIRD projects. Our exposure to these issues has led us to believe that there are many people facing similar situations throughout the country and lacking the right balance of both rights-based advocacy and planning focused solutions, uniquely provided by Advocacy Plus.

A Collaborative Approach

It is important to recognise that the issues and obstacles people are facing in relation to Self-Directed Support are complex and require support from several areas of expertise. Responding to this we have come together as a collaborative group of organisations who will work to support people with the issues they face.

The organisations currently involved in this collaborative work are:

• In Control Scotland (Lead Organisation)
• Radical Visions
• Civil Rights First

The work we carry out may involve one or more of the organisations depending on the situation of the individual or family and the help, support and advice they require. We are also able to share our expertise and learning between the organisations to the wider benefit of people and organisations facing similar challenges across the country.

What is Advocacy Plus?

Advocacy Plus seeks to affect a powerful synergy through the deliberate combination of well-informed independent advocacy with creative, in-depth, outcome-focused planning solutions.

It is derived from our extensive experience that one without the other is often insufficient to break the log-jam that confronts some individuals and families when attempting to navigate the journey of self-directed support: the ability to assert your rights and seize your opportunities in the face of ill-informed opposition, has a limited impact in the absence of a clear picture of how you will make the most of the resources available; while the most creative of plans is of little value if you are not being permitted to exercise proper choice and control.

Advocacy Plus provides:

• A bespoke advocacy service specific to self-directed support, informed by detailed knowledge of the SDS legislation and the accompanying statutory guidance, and the wider range of human rights which informs them.
• A relationship where the advocate walks beside the individual concerned at their own pace, sitting beside them in the forums they encounter, guiding them through the system. A relationship of commitment to the person, sticking with them through the inevitable ups and downs of the process.
• Clarity about the path the person wishes to travel towards their desired outcomes using Person centred approaches/conversations, planning and service designs.
• A range of mediation, negotiation, brokerage and representational activities, alongside or on behalf of the individual, with the public and third sector bodies they encounter.

If you wish to find out more about Advocacy Plus, or to make a referral please contact us.