Information about advocates and asking someone to speak up for you.

What an advocate does

If you find it difficult to understand your care and support, or have difficulty communicating your views, you can ask someone to speak on your behalf. This person is called an advocate. 

An advocate can attend meetings with you and support you during assessments and care planning. They represent your interests, and can help you to:

  • understand the care and support you receive 
  • make decisions about your care
  • challenge decisions you don’t agree with 
  • stand up for you and your rights
  • communicate how you feel 

Advocates can help you get your views or wishes across about things that are important to you. This could be about the care or medical treatment you receive, or your finances.

Who can be an advocate

An advocate could be a friend or family member that you trust to speak up for you at meetings.

A paid carer cannot act as an advocate for you.

We can help provide an advocate for you if you do not have a friend or relative to support you.

It's sometimes a good idea to use a professional advocate, because they:

  • know about your rights
  • know the options that should be made available to you 
  • make sure that your views are properly heard

How to get an advocate

There are a number of advocacy services locally and nationally. 

Advocacy in Sutton

Advocacy for All

Advocacy for All work with older people, disabled people and people with mental health conditions in Sutton. They make sure they're listened to when they are making decisions for now and in the future.

Learn more on the Advocacy for All website

Age UK Sutton

Age UK Sutton offers an advocacy service for older people in the Sutton area.

Learn more on the Age UK Sutton website

Make a professional referral on the Age UK website

Support for people with learning disabilities

VoiceAbility Sutton Self-Advocacy Group

VoiceAbility Sutton self-advocacy group meets each week at Sutton Centre for Independent Living and Learning.

Learn more on the VoiceAbility website

Support for Refugees and migrants

Refugee and Migrant Network Sutton (RMNS) provides advocacy support for:

  • refugees
  • asylum seekers
  • newly settled immigrants

Learn more on the RMNS website

People with mental health conditions

The Advocacy Project offers advocacy for people with mental health challenges in hospital.

Learn more on the Advocacy Project website

Older people

Older People's Advocacy Alliance (OPAAL) promotes the importance of advocacy for older people. It provides a directory of older people's advocacy services in the London area.

Learn more on the OPAAL website

National advocacy services and support

You can also find advocacy support through national organisations, such as: