Advocacy services
Citizens Advice Sheffield advocacy services exist to provide a free, independent and confidential service for people who need independent advocacy support.
We work with a wide range of people who are vulnerable and who need health or social care services.
This includes people with mental health problems, learning disabilities, dementia and brain injuries.
We work with young people, adults and older people from all backgrounds and a wide range of communities.
Many of our clients don’t have anyone else to support them.
Most of our work is now provided through Sheffield Advocacy Hub, in which we are the leading partner.
Advocacy services
Citizens Advice Sheffield advocacy services exist to provide a free, independent and confidential service for people who need independent advocacy support.
We work with a wide range of people who are vulnerable and who need health or social care services.
This includes people with mental health problems, learning disabilities, dementia and brain injuries.
We work with young people, adults and older people from all backgrounds and a wide range of communities.
Many of our clients don’t have anyone else to support them.
Most of our work is now provided through Sheffield Advocacy Hub, in which we are the leading partner.
More DetailsNeed an advocate?
Most of our services are now provided through Sheffield Advocacy Hub, in partnership with Cloverleaf Advocacy, Disability Sheffield and SACMHA.
You can find out more about how to refer by visiting our Hub website.
We accept referrals from:
- People who need an advocate
- Their carers, friends and family members
- Professionals working with people who need an advocate
Please note that we are not an emergency service. If you have a mental health emergency you should:
- Contact your GP in the first instance
- Telephone NHS 111 (lines open 24 hours per day, 7 days per week) and tell them it is about your mental health.
- Contact the Rethink Sheffield Helpline (24/7) on 0808 801 0440 (free)
What is advocacy?
Advocacy is taking action to help people say what they want, secure their rights, represent their interests and obtain services they need. Advocates and advocacy schemes work in partnership with the people they support and take their side. Advocacy promotes social inclusion, equality and social justice.
Taken from the The Advocacy Charter (2002), this is the basic statement which sums up what independent advocates do today.
It is the basis of the Advocacy Code of Practice, and all of our staff adhere to this Code.
What we do
We provide a free, independent and confidential service to adults in need of advocacy support in Sheffield.
We aim to:
- Provide you with clear and accessible information about your options and services available to you
- Support you to have your say about your own care and to empower you to express your wishes
- Support you in making informed decisions based on a clear understanding of your options
- Support you to be fully involved in decisions taken for you by professionals “No decision about me, without me”
- Ensure your human rights are protected and upheld
- Gather information about social policy issues in partnership with you, and campaign locally to effect change
FAQs
Can I refer myself?
Yes, call us on 0800 035 0396, or see Need an Advocate? above
Can I refer someone else?
Yes, as long as you have their permission. Friends and family carers can make referrals, as can professionals. Call us on 0800 035 0396 or visit www.sheffieldadvocacyhub.org.uk for more details. Note: if you are a professional and your client lacks capacity to give permission to contact us, you can still refer them to our service in the usual way.
I don’t know if I am a ‘qualifying patient’ for your IMHA service. How do I find out?
The simplest way is to give us a ring, and we will be able to tell you. You can also visit our pages on our IMHA service, which give some information about qualifying patients Alternatively, you could ask your Consultant, Care Coordinator or a Nurse if you qualify.
My GP doesn’t listen to me properly or take my problems seriously. Can you help me?
Yes. If you are struggling with your mental wellbeing and want to talk to your GP about it, we can support you with that. We could meet you beforehand to prepare, we could attend the appointment with you to support you in the meeting, or even speak for you if you wish. We can also provide information about what kinds of support your GP should be able to offer.
I need support with my mental health, but don’t want my family knowing about it. How do I know you won’t tell them?
The Advocacy service is a confidential service. That means that whatever you tell us, is confidential to our service. We will not tell anyone else that you are using our service, or give any information about you, without your permission, except in very specific circumstances – if you tell us you or someone else is at immediate risk of harm, we may want to talk to you about contacting your GP or a mental health professional who is responsible for your care. However, we would not tell family, friends or anyone else unless you told us you wanted us to do so.
How to contact us
For full details of the different ways to contact us click here.
How To Contact UsSheffield contact
Our advisers can help you resolve your problem.
We explain your options and the possible outcomes of different courses of action. We don’t tell you what to do – we encourage you to make your own decisions and act on your own behalf.
Complete our online enquiry form
Send Us Your Enquiry