Advice & Advocacy Service

Sometimes it can feel difficult to say what you want, secure your rights and obtain the services you need.

The Metro Centre's Advice & Advocacy Service provides advice and information on benefits, debt and housing matters.
We can help you feel more confident in dealing with social services and other agencies; support you in making decisions and putting them into practice; assist you in applying for benefits and services that suit you; and represent your needs and wishes with social services and other agencies via telephone, in writing and/or at meetings.

What is advocacy?
Advocacy means helping people make choices and obtain the services to which they are entitled, and to represent them when necessary. People are entitled to receive services that take account of their gender, ethnicity, culture, religion, age, level of ability, mental health and sexual orientation.

Advocates from The Metro Centre aim to:

• Develop a trusting relationship with the client so as to be able to support them effectively through the process.
• Explain to the client that The Metro Centre advocates are independent of social services and other agencies.
• Assist people in making informed decisions about what they want, help them to put across what they want, and support them in putting their decisions into practice.
• Present the client’s views and needs either by supporting them to express themselves to social services and other agencies (for example helping them to prepare for meetings), or by presenting their views and needs on their behalf.
• Negotiate with social services and other agencies on the client’s behalf, which may involve facilitating an exchange of information and any proposals for resolution of issues in dispute.
• Encourage people to work with social services and other agencies wherever appropriate, and help people to ask for services that suit them and respond to their needs.
• Challenge the view of social services and other agencies on the client’s behalf where their view appears unreasonable to the client.
• Challenge discrimination when representing people.
• Treat as confidential all the information they receive about people, in accordance with The Metro Centre’s Confidentiality Policy & Child Protection policy.
• Help people evaluate the process and outcomes following the advocate’s involvement.
• Give feedback to social services and other agencies about the needs of people from different communities, and about identified gaps in services.

The Metro Centre Advocacy Service will:

• Inform staff in other services about what people expect from those services, as identified from case working.
• Share cultural information with organisations and give feedback on the needs of lesbian, gay and bisexual people and those questioning their sexuality.
• Identify gaps in services and notify relevant organisations.

  If you are interested in finding out more about The Metro Centre's Advice & Advocacy Service, please email Anne or call her on 020 8305 5000.

  If you are from an external agency and wish to make a referral, please complete and return the Advocacy Referral Form.