The Consultation & Advocacy Promotion Service

Individual Advocacy Service

Do you live in East Lothian or Midlothian?

Do you use mental health services?

Have you ever felt

• so overwhelmed you cannot put your point across?
• people are not taking enough time to explain things to you?

• if someone else was with you, you could speak up for yourself?

Then you need someone who:

is there for you and no one else

can assist you to get the information you need to make decisions

can support you to speak up for yourself

• can speak up for you and what you want

Where can you find someone like this?

You can phone us on 0131 665 9698 or use our email contact form and we can arrange for one of our volunteer advocates to work with you.

Will it cost me anything?

Absolutely not. Our service is totally free to people who use mental health services in East Lothian or Midlothian.

How can I get this service?

It is better to call us as soon as you can, to give us time to arrange an advocate for you. You may have to leave a message for us to call you back.

However, once we have allocated an advocate, you can arrange to meet them when and where it suits you both.

What sort of things can an advocate help me with?

Your advocate can go with you to appointments, help you to prepare when you have a meeting about health or social issues and talk about what’s been decided. Advocates don’t just deal with health and social matters, they can support you to deal with all sorts of issues relating to your mental health such as housing, employment, the services you use or would like to use.

Does advocacy work?

Don’t take our word for it, this is what someone who has used advocacy said:

“If I hadn’t had an advocate, I wouldn’t have had the nerve to go up there, never mind ask for what I wanted.”

We can’t guarantee that you will get everything you want, but we can try to make sure you have your say.

Download our leaflet here:

CAPS Individual Advocacy Leaflet 2010