Advocacy Awareness Week 2022
This week is Advocacy Awareness Week.
This year’s theme will show how advocates support people in relation to their human rights.
Human rights are basic rights everyone can expect, and public authorities have a legal duty to respect and protect them.
Daily Themes
Monday Right to life. Examples can include neglect or abuse in care settings that puts your life at risk or professionals withdrawing or refusing treatment because you have a disability.
Tuesday Right to be safe from inhuman or degrading treatment. This can include serious harm from a lack of care or support, severe abuse or ill-treatment by others. Public services staff must protect you from serious harm.
Wednesday Right to liberty. This looks at restriction of movement. Restrictions must be lawful, for a good reason and the least restrictive option.
Thursday Right to respect for private and family life. Some examples are being involved in decisions about your life, care and treatment, staying in contact with loved ones and maintaining wellbeing.
Friday Right to be free from discrimination. This can protect you from being treated worse that other people, for example because of your race or having a disability. This right has to link to your other Human Rights.
Advocates have a key role in supporting people to understand their human rights and ensuring that public bodies are respecting these rights. Advocates can also raise concerns and challenges when people’s rights are under threat or at risk.
Healthwatch Lancashire’s role is to gather feedback and hear people’s stories. Often, we signpost people to local advocacy support services. Are you currently going through something and think you could benefit from an advocate?
There are local advocacy support services in Lancashire:
Advocacy Focus offer a range of advocacy services from Mental Health Capacity Advocacy to NHS and Social Care Complaints Advocacy.
https://advocacyfocus.org.uk/adult-advocacy-services-in-lancashire/
Contact them on 0300 323 0965 or admin@advocacyfocus.org.uk
Cloverleaf Advocacy runs advocacy support for people with learning disabilities, as well as those who use mental health services.
https://cloverleaf-advocacy.co.uk/areas/lancashire
Contact them on 0300 012 0231 or mh.lancs@cloverleaf-advocacy.co.uk