Advocacy support 

What is advocacy?

Having someone to speak on your behalf is known as advocacy. 

Advocacy is helping someone, particularly adults at risk, to:

  • be involved in decisions about their lives
  • speak out about issues that matter to them
  • protect their rights

There are various different types of advocacy services available, depending on the needs of the person. The NHS website has information about advocacy.

Using advocacy 

If you need support in making a complaint, we are happy to receive your complaint from:

  • an advice or advocacy agency
  • professionals (such as social workers, community psychiatric nurses, doctors or solicitors)
  • MPs and elected councillors 
  • family members or friends

After your advocate has written to us, we will let them know if we need your consent for us to speak to them.

When you may need the service

  • when we’re assessing or reviewing your care needs
  • if a service is withdrawn or reduced
  • if you have a conflict with us or with your carer
  • when you’re discharged from, or admitted to, a home or day centre
  • if you want to make a complaint to us
  • if you’re a young carer
  • you can also get informal advocacy from some community and faith groups.

What can an advocate do?

An advocate can:

  • listen to you
  • help you to plan any action you may need or wish to take
  • write letters and make telephone calls with you, or for you
  • ensure your views are heard by attending meetings / reviews with you
  • obtain information for you, or put you in touch with someone who can
  • spend time with you preparing for meetings
  • investigate alternative sources of support.

Find a local organisation

You can contact the following agencies, who will be able to guide you further:

VoiceAbility - is one of the UK’s largest providers of advocacy services and can support people to be heard in decisions about their health, care and wellbeing. To find out more, visit VoiceAbility's website, call 0300 303 1660 or email helpline@voiceability.org.

Reasonable adjustments and alternative formats

Our aim is to make our services easy to use and accessible for everyone. We will take steps to make any reasonable adjustments needed for you to make a complaint, access our policy, or any requests to provide responses in other formats.

If you cannot use our online form, you can call us on 01442 228000.

If you prefer to write to us, send your complaint to:

Dacorum Borough Council
The Forum, Marlowes, Hemel Hempstead
Hertfordshire
HP1 1DN

For British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter or translation services, please email edi@dacorum.gov.uk.

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Page Last Updated: Friday, 21 October 2022 at 11:29 AM