Independent Advocacy provides people with the opportunity to be heard.  We are separate from other organisations and we do not make decisions for our clients.  Instead, we ensure they have all the relevant information and support they require in order to make their own informed choices.

Independent Advocacy gives people the chance to have a stronger voice and be heard.

We are commissioned by Dumfries and Galloway Health and Social Care to deliver services that are

• Independent and professional;
• Provide individual (one to one) advocacy that is issue focused;
• Provide collective/group advocacy that is issue focused;
• Meet statutory requirements and Scottish Government priorities; and
• Have as a key principle ‘Independence of mind, independence of place and independence of funding’.

Dumfries and Galloway Advocacy Service supports adults aged 18 and over with:

• Adult Generic Advocacy (18 and over)
• Adult Advocacy in terms of the Mental Health (Care & Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 (18 and over)
• Adult Collective/Group Advocacy (18 and over)

The aim of the adult generic independent advocacy is:

• to promote empowerment of adult residents of Dumfries and Galloway who require help, in whatever context, to understand the options open to them, to enable them to make informed choices and/or to make their own views known.

The aim of the adult Mental Health Act Independent Advocacy is:

• as above, plus
• to provide independent advocacy to people with a mental disorder in accordance with the requirements of the Mental Health Act, enabling people to be empowered and their views heard.

The aim of adult collective/group advocacy is: 

• to promote empowerment of adult residents of Dumfries and Galloway where a group of people who are all facing a common problem get together on a formal basis to support each other over specific issues. Individual members of the group may also support each other over specific issues. The group may campaign on an issue that affects them all. Being part of a collective advocacy group can help to reduce a person’s sense of isolation when raising a difficult issue.