About us
Who are The Advocacy People?
The Advocacy People believe in a society where;
people feel in control of their lives and are confident to speak up and
people who can’t speak up for themselves have someone in their corner to speak for them.
It is our mission to:
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help anybody that needs independent support to speak up
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deliver quality and innovation in advocacy through our practice
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improve people’s lives individually and collectively through putting their case to policymakers
Our Values
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People are at the heart of what we do. Anyone can feel powerless and unable to speak up when faced with a difficult situation. Anyone should have access to an advocate
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People matter. In an equal society, decisions about people’s lives must be made fairly, involving the person as far as possible
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People make the difference. If our staff are happy at work, they will be effective at work
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People should be heard at every level of policy and decision-making. We work hard to make this happen
As the law has changed to include other rights to advocacy, we have changed too. We are experienced and skilled in all the advocacy services that must be provided by law.
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But 25 years on, advocacy is still only a right for certain people in certain situations.
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There is a lot more work to do.
The Advocacy People
Your voice deserves to be heard.
Key moments in our History
1994
HVA
As Hastings Voluntary Action, we started our first advocacy services in East Sussex.
2000
SEAP
We became an independent organisation called SEAP:
South East Advocacy Projects
2003
ICAS
We became South of England Advocacy Projects, delivering Independent Complaints Advocacy Services (ICAS) across southern England. For the first time anyone could get help making a complaint about an NHS service.
2005
Mental Capacity Act
The Mental Capacity Act introduced advocacy for people who are unable to make their own decisions.
2009
Mental Health Act
The Mental Health Act introduced advocacy for people who are detained in a mental health hospital, unit or ward.
2014
Care Act
The Care Act introduced advocacy for people who have care and support needs.
2020
The Advocacy People
We are The Advocacy People, easy to say, easy to remember and focusing in on our reason for being: People.