Telephone: 0113 247 0449 Fax: 0113 247 0448 Email: office@a4mhd.org.uk
"Advocacy" happens whenever a person is supported to speak up and say what they want with the support of someone else. Advocates help people to get their point across in situations when they may not have the confidence to do it alone, or feel they are not being listened to. Sometimes advocates can speak for people.
A4MHD is an independent organisation. This means we are not part of health or social services, Leeds City Council or Leeds Partnerships Foundation Trust. It is important for advocacy organisations to be independent so that advocates can work just for their clients without any other interest to consider
We support people experiencing mental distress, including dementia, to have their voice heard in situations such as meetings with medical professionals or social workers (CPA meetings, ward rounds or medication reviews for example) and to address any issue that is important to the person. For example their care and treatment in hospital, the support they receive at home, issues about where they live, making complaints, and dealing with employment problems, dealing with abuse, harassment, discrimination or other difficult situations.
We are signed up to the Advocacy Charter
and work toward the Leeds Standards for Advocacy
and the Standards for Advocacy Schemes
The Advocacy Charter’s definition of advocacy, which we have adopted, is
“Advocacy is taking action to help people say what they want, represent their interests, secure their rights and obtain services they need.
Advocates and Advocacy schemes work in partnership with the people they support and take their side.”