PROBLEMS GETTING AN ADVOCATE THE IMPORTANT INFORMATION — Scope | Disability forum
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PROBLEMS GETTING AN ADVOCATE THE IMPORTANT INFORMATION

thespiceman
thespiceman Community member Posts: 6,388 Disability Gamechanger
Hello every body thought I share some important information to you all about advocate services.

An advocate is a person nominated need to speak on your behalf on a range of subjects or themes. Issues and problems.

Could be housing, benefits or speaking to a medical professional. Talking on your behalf. Understand that they will ask anything you wish to say. Become a voice for you.

Works like this often make self referral and who do wish to talk to . Why and what are the problems and issues you are having.

Understand not a councillor not to run your life for you. Can be useful with suggestions and ideas. Can be rewarding and potentially stimulating to have voice for you.  To speak for you and help with any arguments or of sensitive nature being approached to who ever they may be.

I used one organisation to help with my GP. Rethink a mental health charity. Having issues with my GP and could not say what I wished to say. Even writing it down. Anxiety and sweating got the better of me.  Support worker suggested Rethink.

Had a meeting had discussions what to say then made to the Surgery an appointment  .Soon as she the advocate came into the surgery and to the Doctors doors opened. Could say what I wanted well she the advocate did.  Had to say what I wanted. Doctor apologised.  Also helped a lot.

Since then used them one and off.  For various aspects of my life. Personal to me.

What shocked me was the situation right now.  Need an advocate for PIP assessment. So managed to acquire various websites to visit. Emails and messages sent to all involved.

Information is this 

1.  Understand will not help with attending PIP assessments only appeal and tribunal stage.

2.  If you live in an area with an advocate office or region be accepted but some will only help at appeal and tribunal..

3.  Some might help at initial assessment but will require you to sign for a donation towards costs of fuel and carparking for the advocate to attend.  Will have to live in that area or region.

What I did find out was also that if I was coming in from abroad to live into this country .  Seeking Asylum. Need support with benefits and all the welfare and housing. Will get advocate appointed.  By some organisations I believe. 

Also funding has a lot to do with it as well. Many times accessed webpages to met with a funding plea from the site. Even before tried to contact anybody.

In the end was an annoying, and often pointless search on these websites.  Loads of information but fruitless searching for what I need.

Understand the need for a service I live in this country and can not get anybody to help.  Not many organisations want to help the community I am part of.  Only at the request of a donation.  Also if I live in the area that has offices and organisations of representatives of advocates which I do not.

I had to ask my friend to assist which he would do in the end. He will have to take a day off.  Which I felt was unnecessary if the organisations that should have helped me cannot for a variety of reasons.

All very sad. Is this the country I live in.
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Comments

  • susan48
    susan48 Community member Posts: 2,221 Disability Gamechanger
    @thespiceman, I’m at a loss for words really!

    The situation your in is shocking. Iv never had to try and find an advocate so this is quite a distressing situation you find yourself in.

    Have you tried Social Services, they maybe able to help or have information to give you.

    I hope you find some help and soon 
  • bevt2017
    bevt2017 Community member Posts: 324 Pioneering
    Hi @thespiceman

    Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience with the community. 

    I know you have been so stressed out with trying to find an advocate.

    You know how I feel about it.

    And I also feel that if the government are going to continue with these assessments, more help should be provided.
    How many disabled people have needed to go to court due to poor assessments and assess.

    I'm happy your friend is going to attend the assessment with you, 
    And I hope all goes well.

    If you need a chat? You know were I am.
    Take care
    Bev x
  • sam12
    sam12 Posts: 1,338 Pioneering
    Ring the Lancashire well being they put u in touch right people there icann online to 
  • Misscleo
    Misscleo Community member Posts: 647 Pioneering
    Great! Give the phone number to them 
  • sam12
    sam12 Posts: 1,338 Pioneering
    I get u Lancashire well being they get u icann 03450138208
  • sam12
    sam12 Posts: 1,338 Pioneering
    Mention icann to Lancashire well being  .they also advocate there on another department 
  • sam12
    sam12 Posts: 1,338 Pioneering
    I need help the welfare people taking a mth i haven't time but Lancashire well being say up to 13 mths she told me this 
  • Topkitten
    Topkitten Community member Posts: 1,285 Pioneering
    People have suggested to me that I should have an advocate but I have always be loath to try to bring someone else into the problems. I guess part of this is stubbornness and the belief I should be able to cope but for the rest it's just the difficulty of bringing someone else in, the depressiveness of explaining all that is wrong and the likely problems associated with finding such help and the costs or constant requests to donate something because nothing is ever free.

    We live in a country that most outsiders consider to have a great health system but only when you are permanently ill and find that no one cares enough to help do you really realise what such a good reputation leads to. If all the facts are really known then people find that it really isn't such a great system after all and the people who suffer the most are also the people that most need the help.

    TK
    "I'm on the wrong side of heaven and the righteous side of hell" - from Wrong side of heaven by Five Finger Death Punch.
  • Waylay
    Waylay Community member, Scope Member Posts: 973 Pioneering
    Anybody in Cambridgeshire?
  • thespiceman
    thespiceman Community member Posts: 6,388 Disability Gamechanger
    Hello every body please can I add thank you for kind and supportive messages.

    I thought would lay out all the information what I have gleaned from the web pages and sites. Understand also the big, big issues are funding.

    Lots of these organisations are run by charity status never many of them are council run. Another sign of budgets and cuts.

    Also it is sad to hear these organisations need money. One web page clearly adds. On clicking on how much you have to pay before even ever getting on the site.

    Astounding and frankly quite disturbing if that is the way these services are going. Are we becoming like America where it is How much?

    May I add to @Topkitten your comments should have an advocate. Actual fact some advocates organisations they decide not you if you wished to know.

    Have to because of funding and budget cuts .Always do an assessment.  How can they help.?  Understand will not be there to get involved in your life. Not to run it. They will help only if there to advise and background voice.

    Might possibly not answer .Any Emails or phone calls.  Despite leaving several.

    Trust me I had this recently from one organisation on the webpage says leave Email not to ring. Yet received nothing .  After leaving simple message and found out will not help. Because the problem is too difficult. That is I assume.  Got no reply ever.

    May I add further lots of Mental Health  organisations are now saying to their clientele.  Giving them a time limit to try to deal with their issues in a sensitive and caring approach.  Regardless of over worked staff underfunding and restricts on care and mental health for there clientele.

    Many are now saying I am afraid as I have had experience of this and have read many others of our community the same.  If you can help your self then we will help you.

    Whether you have money or not to finance the your own care. Things are drastically changing in Mental Health or Care sector.

    Hello @susan48 hope you are OK yes have applied to look at Social Services no go in fact they only state do appeals and tribunals .Usually welfare rights.

    What I did find out was if I lived in Scotland OK there. As far as I know.

    Thank you for all kind suggestions and comments much appreciated

    @thespiceman
    Community Champion
    SCOPE Volunteer Award Engaging Communities 2019
    Mental Health advice, guidance and information to all members
    Nutrition, Diet, Wellbeing, Addiction.
    Recipes
  • Topkitten
    Topkitten Community member Posts: 1,285 Pioneering
    @Waylay not Cambridgeshire but North Essex. Not too far away but still too far, lol!

    TK
    "I'm on the wrong side of heaven and the righteous side of hell" - from Wrong side of heaven by Five Finger Death Punch.

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