Advocacy is where people speak on your behalf or help you to speak.
A number of voluntary and private organisations offer advice and advocacy services for people with a learning disability. Staff in the Learning Disability Teams can give information about these services.
Being confident and speaking up for yourself is important. The following organisations provide support for Advocacy:
"Speaking Up" provides individual one-to-one advocacy and support to people with learning disabilities. In addition, they promote and empower groups of people with learning disabilities through a range of group work, workshops and conferences.
The main office based on Fortescue Road, Cambridge also provides valuable work and training for people with learning disabilities. Speaking Up also oversees the Service User Parliament. 25 people with learning disabilities are Members of Parliament (MPs); they meet every two months with managers from our service to explore issues, and represent the views of other people with learning disabilities.
"The Cambridgeshire Advocacy" Project is for adults (18+) living in Cambridgeshire who have profound and multiple learning disabilities
They offer advocacy to those people who have communication styles that are difficult to understand. They use every skill available to enable the client to make their choices known. This type of advocacy needs patience, time and skill, however they are also available for crisis advocacy if appropriate
The project will enable those with profound and multiple disabilities to have their say about life choices. They are based at the Horizon, Romsey Community Centre, but can be contact by email or telephone:
Co-ordinator: Kerry Walsh
Telephone: 077 969 487 32
Email: Kerry.Walsh@mencap.org.uk
There are also a number of voluntary organisations who provide advice and information:
Other useful website:
- Valuing People - The Department of Health's Valuing People Support Team Website.
Cambridgeshire Social Care Services have also published an Advocacy Handbook.