Bob (name and image changed) is a gentleman living in supported accommodation alongside a small group of others. Living with mental health needs, he has not always found it easy to trust people or feel confident speaking up for himself. For a long time, he often felt unsure about who he could rely on.
That began to change when he met his advocate, Claire, nearly two years ago.
Since then, Bob and Claire have built a strong and trusting working relationship. Alongside supporting him with meetings and decisions, they have taken time to simply get to know each other as people. Their conversations are often filled with humour and a good joke or two.
Bob explains his experience in his own words:
“Before I met Claire, I never attended any of my meetings. We worked together and found a new system to prepare for meetings, writing down what I want to say. This has helped me feel more confident to go to my meetings and help get my thoughts together.”
Over time, Bob has developed greater confidence in expressing his views. He now feels able to raise concerns or make complaints himself, knowing that if he feels he is not being heard, Claire is there to support him in moving things forward.
“If I have any concerns or complaints, I sometimes make these myself first and if I feel no one is listening, that’s when I know I can go to Claire and she will help push it along. Claire has told me that she thinks I’ve come a long way with this and that I wasn’t always as confident to tell people what I thought.
Claire has also supported Bob in practical ways, including helping him find contact details for professionals, communicating with services on his behalf when needed, and keeping him informed about emails and calls relating to his care. This support has helped Bob feel more involved and informed about decisions affecting him.
“Claire has helped me with lots of other things too, like finding the contact details of professionals so I can speak with them or speaking to them for me. Claire talks for me when I can get the words out. I ask Claire to keep me updated on any emails or calls made about me, which she always does.”
Through advocacy, Bob has also gained a clearer understanding of his rights and the services he is entitled to access.
Most importantly, Bob feels listened to.
“I feel like I can be honest with Claire. I really value our chats; it’s just good to have someone listen.”
Looking back, Bob recognises how much things have changed. He now feels more confident, more informed, and more able to speak up for himself. His message to others considering advocacy is simple:
“I feel more confident now and would say to anyone wondering if they should ask for an advocate or not to just go for it.”