How does the complainant define the problem?

What the person says and wants is the most important thing. The role of the ICAS advocate is to listen and support the complainant.

This means that the first thing ICAS advocates need to do is to listen. They then should either

• support the complainant to speak for themselves
• or (if the complainant is not able to do this) represent the service user’s views as if they were their own.

The ICAS advocate can make sure that the complainant has all the information they need to make an informed decision about what to do next. It is not the ICAS advocate’s role to

• decide whether a complaint is valid or to guess at what the specific outcome might be (although with experience you will know what is likely/unlikely according to the complaint)
• solve the problem for the complainant
• speculate or make suggestions to the complainant about why they might be experiencing particular feelings

The complainant decides what they want their advocate to do and what action should be taken

• ICAS advocates do not decide what is in the wider interests of the complainant: they will only explore that perspective if it is an acceptable course of action to the complainant
• ICAS advocates work to the complainant’s instruction even if they disagree with what is being done.

ICAS advocacy should help people to make informed choices. An advocate has a responsibility to ensure the service user is making real choices based on good quality information.

ICAS Advocates code of practice

Next: What are the issues and elements of the complaint? (“personal grievance” or “clinical governance” complaint?)