What is advocacy?

Advocacy is taking action to help people say what they want, secure their rights, represent their interests and obtain the services they need. Advocates and advocacy schemes work in partnership with the people they support and take their side. Advocacy promotes contribution to, and participation in, community life, equality, and ensuring that control and decision-making is genuinely in the individual's best interests.

If you qualify under certain aspects of the Mental Health Act, you can have access to help from an Independent Mental Health Advocate (IMHA) or under the Mental Capacity Act you can have help from an Independent Mental Capacity Advocate (IMCA). For further information see the Department of Health website Independent Mental Health Advocate (IMHA) service and Independent Mental Capacity Advocate (IMCA) service. Receiving services from an IMCA or IMHA does not exclude you from receiving general advocacy support.

Advocacy and advice services - one central contact

Residents now have one single point of contact for independent support with advocacy.

Surrey Disabled People's Partnership (SDPP) is the gateway to advocacy services in Surrey offering:

• One-to-one professional advocacy - this is when a paid advocate supports someone with a specific issue/issues; 
• Citizens advocacy – this type of advocacy is provided by trained volunteers. This type of support can be longer term;
• Self-advocacy groups – these are groups run by people who have joined together to have their voices heard and support each other. 

If you need any kind of support relating to health or social care matters, this is your first-stop shop. Contact Surrey Disabled People’s Partnership on:

Telephone or text:  0300 030 7333 (local rate call)
Email: advocacy@sdpp.org.uk
Website: www.sdpp.org.uk

Also visit the Citizen Hubs in Redhill, Woking and Epsom.

Surrey Disabled People’s Partnership works closely with five key partner organisations who provide specialised advocacy services to support individuals with specific requirements, on a case by case basis. These key partners are:

• KAG Advocacy - advocacy for people with learning disabilities, mental health needs and autism
• AgeUK - advocacy for older people
• Deaf Plus- advocacy for the hard-of-hearning community
• Surrey Association for Visual Impairment (SAVI) - advocacy for people with visual impairment
• Surrey Supported Employment - advocacy to provide supported employment opportunities, for people with learning disability or mental health needs. 

KAG Advocacy
Siddeley House
50 Canbury Park Road
Kingston upon Thames
Surrey KT2 6LX

Tel: 020 8549 1028
Fax: 020 8549 1050
IMCA direct line: 07825 549 191
Email: IMCA direct line: rights@kag.org.uk 
website: www.kag.org.uk/

AgeUK (formerly Age Concern and Help the Aged)
Tavis House
1-6 Tavistock Square
London
WC1H 9NA

National helpline: 0800 169 6565
Website: www.ageuk.org.uk/ 

Deaf Plus
First Floor
Trinity Centre
Key Close
Whitechapel
London E1 4HG

Tel:  020 7790 6147
Fax: 020 7790 9269
Email: info@deafplus.org
Website: www.deafplus.org

Surrey Association for Visual Impairment (SAVI)
Community Liaison Officer
Rentwood
School Lane
Fetcham
Surrey KT22 9JX

Tel: 01373 377701 or 01372 360157
Fax: 01372 360767
Email: info@sa-vi.org.uk
Website: www.surreywebsight.org.uk

Surrey Supported Employment
c/o Employability
White Lodge Adult Centre
Holloway Hill
Chertsey
Surrey KT16 0AE

Helpline: 08456 502638
Email: surreyse@yahoo.co.uk
Website: www.surreyemploy.org.uk