Do you have something to say, but feel like no one is listening?

The Advocacy Hub can help you…

What is Advocacy?

Advocacy is helping people to

• express their views,
• secure their rights,
• represent their interests and
• obtain services they need.

Advocates work in partnership with the people they support and take their side. Advocacy promotes social inclusion, equality and social justice.

Who do we help?

At the Advocacy Hub, we provide both statutory and non-statutory advocacy.

We provide

• Independent Care Act Advocacy (ICAA) to eligible clients in Salford.
• Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) in Meadowbrook, Woodlands and Prestwich Hospitals and associated services.
• Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy (IMCA) in Salford.
• Independent NHS Complaints Advocacy (ICA) in Salford.

We also provide non-statutory community advocacy for

• people with mental health issues,
• people with learning disabilities,
• people with autism spectrum conditions
• people with physical disabilities,
• people with sensory impairments,
• and people over 60

Our advocates can help you get your views across in any situation where you are finding it difficult to be heard.

Due to our funding, to access the Advocacy Hub in the community you must be a Salford resident. If you live outside Salford, please visit our out of area advocacy services help page.

What can we help with?

We support people with a variety of issues, whether with health & social care, housing or benefits, financial, legal or consumer issues, employment or discrimination issues.

Some of our advocacy is supported by law, particularly our work

• supporting people going through care and support assessments, planning and reviews,
• supporting people in safeguarding enquiries and reviews,
• supporting people in mental health hospitals. We’ve listed a few examples below, and there is more detail on how we help different people in the links on the right.
  

  Health & Social Care

  We support people to:

• Access the right health and support services that they are entitled to
• Address issues with carers or guardians
• Attend meetings with healthcare professionals including medicals
• Access their medical records
• Challenge a diagnosis or treatment they don’t agree with
• Make complaints about treatment in the NHS – see NHS complaints
• Address their care with social services – see ICAA page on right
• There is a separate advocate service for Carers – Salford Carers Centre
  

  Housing & Benefits

  We support people to:

• Resolve problems with their landlord
• Resolve problems with supported tenancies
• Receive appropriate adaptations to their home to help them live there
• Resolve problems with problem neighbours
• Access appropriate benefits through help form-filling
• Attend medicals for benefits and meetings with advisors and assessors
• Look at the options regarding sheltered or supported housing
  

  Financial, Legal & Consumer Issues

  We support people to:

• Resolve issues with poor workmanship
• Address issues around financial control
• Attend solicitors appointments
• Resolve issues with child protection services
  

  Employment Issues

  We support people to:

• Resolve issues around discrimination due to age or disability
• Negotiate back-to-work conditions and arrangements
• Get appropriate adaptations made at work, such as changes in responsibilities, flexible working hours and appropriate facilities
  

  Discrimination

  We support people to:

• Take action over incidences of abuse
• Report hate crimes
• Challenge discrimination on the grounds of disability or age
• Be treated with respect and be involved in decisions concerning themselves

These are just some examples of the many ways in which we can help.If you think we can help you or someone you know, please get in touch on 0161 212 4880 or using the referral form on the right.

What Advocates don’t do

Advocacy Testimonies

“My advocate really listened to me and helped me to tell people what I need” – Advocacy Hub Client

“You have helped me to find my voice and get my life back on track” – Advocacy Hub Client

“I’m not sure what I would have done without your service… everything seemed so overwhelming on my own” – Advocacy Hub Client

“My advocate has supported me to ensure I received the best possible health care and recently supported me to attend an assessment for my blue badge. Without her attending with me I would have been too anxious to attend. “ – Advocacy Hub Client

“My advocate has been very supportive during a very difficult time in my life. She has ensured that I had an assessment and received the appropriate equipment to help with my sight loss. “ – Advocacy Hub Client

“My advocate listens to me, she never judges or tells me what to do” – Advocacy Hub Client