Peoples Voices Chiltern&S.Bucks Advocacy

Advocacy in Chiltern, Wycombe and South Bucks

What is advocacy?

Advocates are people in the community who support you if you need some help in speaking up for yourself. We should all be able to tell people what we want when decisions are being made about our lives. As adults we should be involved in all the choices made about us, we should be able to join in our local communities, and develop the relationships we wish for.

Advocacy supports people to make sure that their voices are heard, their interests defended and their rights respected. Our advocates are trained and supported to make sure they provide you with the help that you want.
If you are interested in becoming an advocate please click on volunteering

Our charter for advocacy service users states

An advocate will help you claim your human and civil rights in a way which does not undermine those rights

You have the right to speak for yourself.

We will support you even when other people disagree.

You will make your own choices. Advocates will not make decisions for you.

When an advocate is dealing with an issue on your behalf they will never act without talking to you.

You will be told any information the advocate receives in meetings and conversations concerning you.

All information about you will be kept confidential by your advocate (including the fact that you use People's Voices). Your consent is needed before any information is shared.

You can see any records kept about you by People's Voices at any time.

Our service will be sensitive to your background, culture and beliefs. Our service actively opposes discrimination on the basis of ethnic origin, colour, nationality, class, gender, religious belief, sexual orientation, disability, or age.

If your advocate is not acceptable you can change them at any time.

You have the right to comment about our service at any time.

You have the right not to be abused by our service.

What do advocates do?

People held in low esteem by society often experience devaluing responses from other people and are cut off from the rights and opportunities available to other people. An advocate will support people with disabilities and older people to speak up when decisions are being made about their lives. An advocate will provide support when people are seeking to change things in their life and improve their quality of life.