Health Services

Advocacy (Patient Representation)

Independant Advocacy Services in Forth Valley

People may use a range of health and social care services provided by the NHS and local authorities and may at times require the services of a professional advocate to deal with a specific issue or concern.

Professional Independent Advocacy is one-to-one advocacy support for an individual on a specific problem at a particular period of time.

Professional independent advocacy services in Forth Valley are delivered by Forth Valley Advocacy as part of a contract with Clackmannanshire, Falkirk and Stirling Councils and NHS Forth Valley.

This ensures that people who need professional independent advocacy services have access to a high quality, professional, local service, at no financial cost to themselves. The service also meets the requirements set out in national legislation.

There are other types of advocacy but this contract relates only to professional independent advocacy which is expected to last for a few weeks or months while helping a Service User deal with a specific issue. This service does not include citizenship advocacy, peer group advocacy, support for self/collective advocacy or befriending.

The services are flexible and typically include:

communicating with people referred for a service and their family, friends and carers to establish the nature of the need which the advocacy services will address
establishing with the Service User what results they are looking for and their options for action
supporting people or speaking for them at Mental Health Tribunals, appeals hearings etc
supporting the Service User or speaking for them at formal service meetings
negotiating on the Service Userââ‚¬™s behalf with service providers in seeking to address the issue of concern
Children or young people under the age of 16 years may access this service if they are subject to action under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003.