Aim & Objectives

Advocacy Highland was established with the following aim and objectives:

Aim

The aim of Advocacy Highland is to provide free and confidential independent advocacy in Highland region for individuals of all ages, including children, who need to be supported to speak up about specific issues. This, whilst not exclusive, will focus on key priority groups including those with mental ill health, learning disabilities, and those groups who are frail and elderly, and with due recognition of diverse and marginalized groups.

Objectives

• Support and facilitate individuals to speak up for themselves.
• Provide advocacy for individuals who are unwilling or unable to self advocate.
• Enable people to make informed choices and to make their views and wishes known.
• Develop links with service providers, professionals, appropriate support agencies and other advocacy providers.
• Recruit, train and support advocates.
• Participate in a jointly agreed system of monitoring and evaluation.
• Raise awareness amongst the public, service users and service providers of the values, principles and availability of independent advocacy, and ensure that this is done in an accessible format for all key groups.
• Provide independent advocacy in terms of the requirements of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003.