Advocacy for Carers

Sometimes carers need some guidance and support in order to represent their case and ensure they receive the support to which they are entitled so that they can live a happy and fulfilling life alongside their caring role. Our advocacy worker ensures their thoughts and feelings receive a strong voice and puts their concerns at the centre of matters.

The benefits of advocacy for carers include:

• To promote the welfare of carers and enable individual carers to have stronger voice.

• To support carers to be at the centre of decision making and recognised as equal partners in care.

• To offer independent advice, support and options to carers to enable them to make decisions about their caring role(s).

• To build individual carer’s personal capacity to self-advocate.

• To support carers in accessing specialist services, such as formal legal advice.

Our advocacy service is provided in a range of methods including face-to-face and/or telephone support, and from locations which meet the needs of the carer and our advocacy worker

Outcomes for carers from this support service may include:

• To support carers to ensure any benefits income they are entitled to is maximised.

• To promote to carers the opportunity to receive an assessment of their needs for support and assistance to prepare an Adult Carer Support Plan statement by referral to appropriate agencies.

• To offer guidance and support to carers to prepare an emergency carers plan.

• In all instances, advocacy support will be provided to the carer through a direct conversation.

• To work in a collaborative way with other commissioned carer support services across Fife.