Advocacy

Do you need support to say what matters to you and understand your rights?

We can help you if you need an advocate in lots of situations.

Please call our Advocacy triage on 0333 366 0027 to find out how we can help, or click the links below.

Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy (IMCA)
Including Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS)

(Cheshire Advocacy hub is a partnership between Disability Positive and Age UK Cheshire)

If you have been assessed as not able to make important decisions (usually this is called ‘lacking capacity’) our advocates can help you.

To use our service you need to be 

• Aged 16 or over
• Assessed as lacking capacity to make decisions about medical treatment, accommodation, adult protection cases or care or involved in the Deprivation of Liberty Assessment Process (DoLS)

Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA)

(Cheshire Advocacy hub is a partnership between Disability Positive and Age UK Cheshire)

Are you being treated under the Mental Health Act?

Do you need help with saying what you want in respect of your care and treatment?

Our  Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) Service is for people who have a legal right to an advocate because of their circumstances. 

To use our service you need to be: : 

• Aged 16 and over
• Being treated under the Mental Health Act
• Require assistance with having your voice heard about your care and treatment

Not everybody is entitled to IMHA support, if you are unsure whether you are entitled to the assistance of an IMHA please contact us for advice.

Care Act Advocacy

(Cheshire Advocacy hub is a partnership between Disability Positive and Age UK Cheshire)

If you have care and support needs and need help saying what you want and understanding what your rights are, we can help. 

Our Care Act Advocates can support care assessments, care and support planning, care reviews, safeguarding enquiries, safeguarding reviews and submit appeals for you. 

To use this service you need to : 

• Be aged 16 and over
• Have care and support needs

Continuing Healthcare (CHC) Advocacy (Cheshire West & Cheshire East)

(Cheshire Advocacy hub is a partnership between Disability Positive and Age UK Cheshire)

If you are struggling to understand healthcare funding issues under Continuing Healthcare, we can help. 

Our Continuing Healthcare (CHC) advocates can give support and representation in challenging continuing healthcare funding issues,  and help you to make the right decisions. . 

To use this service you need to  : 

• Be aged 18 or over
• Be in need of support and representation in challenging continuing healthcare funding issues.

General Advocacy

Thanks to funding from the National Lottery Community Fund, we are delighted that we are able to offer our general advocacy service for a further two years,  so if you need help saying what you want and understanding what your rights are, we can help. 

Our Advocates can support you with specific issues; including difficulties with things like housing, benefits appeals, education appeals, children’s welfare, and to support you to write letters and to attend meetings.

To use this service, you need to:

• have lived experience of disability or long-term condition
• want help from an advocate
• live in Cheshire

You will also have the opportunity to take part in our research. We want to understand how your advocacy needs have changed during and after the Coronavirus pandemic, to help us gain new understanding and evidence, to further develop our general advocacy service.