Support - Other agencies & specialist services
Advicenow (external link)
An independent, not-for-profit website providing accurate, up-to-date information on rights and legal issues. Advicenow is a project of Advice Services Alliance, the coordinating body for independent advice services in the UK. ASA members including adviceUK; Citizens Advice; DIAL UK; Law Centres; Shelter and Youth Access, along with other leading advice and information providers. Advicenow is funded by the New Opportunities Fund; the Legal Services Commission; the Invest to Save Budget and the Department of Constitutional Affairs.
Age Concern (external link)
Major charity for older people in the UK. They provide services such as day care and information, campaign on issues like age discrimination and pensions, and work to influence public opinion and government policy about older people.
Action against Medical Accidents (AVMA) (external link)
Action against Medical Accidents (AvMA) is an independent charity which believes that whatever the cause of a medical accident, the people affected deserve explanations, support, and where appropriate, compensation. AvMA has a team of medically and legally trained caseworkers who can provide free and confidential advice to patients or their carers following a medical accident
Action for Advocacy (A4A) (external link)
A4A provides information on advocacy for advocacy providers, the wider voluntary and community sectors and members of the public needing advocacy support.
Action on Elder Abuse (external link)
A national organisation that operates across the four nations of the United Kingdom. It aims to prevent the abuse of older people by raising awareness; encouraging education; promoting research; and collecting and disseminating information.
Association for Mental Health Advocates (AMHA) (external link)
Member organisation for Mental Health Advocates.
Carers UK (external link)
Carers UK is the voice of carers and is the only carer-led organisation working for all carers.
Citizen Advocacy Coalition (external link)
The national network for citizen/volunteer advocacy groups.
Community Legal Service (external link)
The aim of the Community Legal Service is to ensure that people can get information and advice about their legal rights and help with enforcing them. Bringing together legal aid solicitors, Citizens' Advice Bureaux, Law Centres, local authority services and other organisations in local networks, the Community Legal Service is an important part of the Government's fight against social exclusion.
The British Institute of Learning Disabilities (BILD) (external link)
BILD manages the Citizen Advocacy Funding Programme, keep a contact list of Independent Advocacy Groups around the country, promotes advocacy for people with high support needs, and writes policies for advocacy groups to use.
National Advocacy Network (external link)
Membership organisation for advocates in the UK.
Mencap (external link)
Mencap is the UK's leading learning disability charity working with people with a learning disability and their families and carers.
MIND (external link)
The leading mental health charity in England and Wales.
PALS contacts page (DOH) (external link)
Public Law Project (external link)
The Public Law Project (PLP) is an independent, national legal charity which aims to improve access to public law remedies for those whose access is restricted by poverty, discrimination or other similar barriers.
Refugee Council (external link)
The largest organisation in the UK working with asylum seekers and refugees.
Rethink (formerly National Schizophrenia Fellowship) (external link)
The largest severe mental illness charity in the UK.
Royal National Institute for the Blind (external link)
UK charity offering information, support and advice to over two million people with sight problems.
Royal National Institute for the Deaf (external link)
RNID is the largest charity representing the 9 million deaf and hard of hearing people in the UK. Aims to achieve a radically better quality of life for deaf and hard of hearing people.
Values into Action (VIA) (external link)
VIA is a UK-wide campaigning organisation and registered charity which works to promote the right of people with learning difficulties to become citizens with full access to the opportunities of ordinary community life.
Valuing People Support Team (external link)
Valuing People is the government's plan for making the lives of people with learning disabilities and their families better.
Write to them (external link)
Type in your postcode to get contact details for Councillors, MP, MEPs, MSPs, or Welsh and London Assembly Members.
Contact details for specialist mental health advocacy
NIMHE Contact Directory for Mental Health (external link)
The 2003 Directory for Mental Health, produced by the National Institute for Mental Health in England (NIMHE) has listings for organisations providing expertise and advice about every kind of mental health problem.
DOH report
Independent Specialist Advocacy in England and Wales: Recommendations for Good Practice (external link)
UK Advocacy Network (UKAN) (external link)
The UK Advocacy Network (UKAN) is the national federation of mental health advocacy projects, patients' councils and user forums. UKAN was formed in 1993 and currently has 227 member groups. UKAN has played a key role in defining and promoting good practice in mental health advocacy through the provision of information and training and the development of mental health advocacy standards.
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