Advocate for Mental Health

When you have a problem or concern, we can explain to you the choices which are open to you. We can talk to you about possible outcomes of those choices. We can then support you as little or as much as you would like us to.

We can provide you with information on mental health issues, for example about your rights under the Mental Health Act and other laws. It may be that this is all you need from us and you will go and speak to your doctor or other worker knowing that the advocate is there should you need to speak to them again.

Having talked things through with you, we can draft letters for you and accompany you to meetings about your care and treatment, for example, at ward rounds, mental health assessments and Care Programme Approach meetings.

If you wish, we can take a more active part at meetings, for example by asking questions of workers if things seem unclear or by prompting you if something you wanted to say has slipped your mind.

You can also ask the advocate to actually speak for you after you have decided what you want said. Some people find this helpful if they feel intimidated by big meetings, or if they do not feel up to talking that day.

We keep information about other local services, so if you need help with other issues we should be able to refer you to the right place.

Click here to view the Code of Practice which sets out the standards people who use our service can expect from our advocates.