🎉 As we celebrate 21 incredible years, we’re shining a spotlight on the amazing partners and advocacy providers we’ve worked with over the years! 🌟

Today, we’re featuring AdvoCard

Do you have a story about advocacy making a difference? Share it in the comments or tag an organisation that deserves a shout out! Let’s celebrate the incredible advocacy community together. 💙 #Ceartas21

1.            Tell us a little bit about your organisation and the services you provide?

We’re an independent advocacy organisation based in Edinburgh, and we provide free, confidential, and independent advocacy support to people who need it. Our main focus is on supporting people experiencing mental health issues, those struggling with substance use, and people in prison.

What We Do:

• Statutory Mental Health Advocacy:
  We support people subject to mental health legislation including AWI, Adult Protection and the MHCTA, whether they’re at home or in hospital. We help them express their views, understand their rights, and make informed choices about their care and treatment.
• Problematic Substance Use Advocacy:
  Our PSU service focusses on helping people exercise their rights under MAT standards, Helping avoid potential homelessness and support with children and family issues such as LAAC reviews etc.
• Prison Advocacy:
  We work withal prisoners of HMP Edinburgh, making sure they understand their rights and get a say in decisions that affect them.
• Welfare Reform Advocacy:
  We help people understand their rights and how welfare reforms affect them and provide support to engage with benefit agencies, attending assessments and challenging decisions.
• Outreach Service:
  Our Outreach workers provide home visits and drop in in local organisations so people can access our service in a place they already feel safe.
• Volunteer Delivered Advocacy

We provide training and work experience for people with lived experience who face barriers to employment. Our volunteers provide non statutory advocacy support in the local community for people who have a mental health condition or PSU around issues such as making complaints, attending medical appointments and children and family issues.

2.            Who are the key groups or individuals your organisation supports?

People with mental health conditions or PSU

3.            What is one thing you wish more people knew about the work that you do?

One thing we really wish more people knew is just how powerful advocacy can be. So many people struggle to have their voices heard—whether it’s in healthcare, housing, benefits, or even legal matters—but advocacy gives them that voice. We don’t tell people what to do or make decisions for them; we simply stand beside them, making sure they have the information, confidence, and support they need to speak up for themselves.

A lot of people don’t even know they have the right to advocacy, and that’s something we’d love to change. Whether someone is dealing with mental health challenges, struggling with addiction, or facing difficulties in prison or with welfare services, having an advocate can make a huge difference. It’s about making sure people aren’t ignored, overlooked, or pushed into decisions they don’t fully understand.

4.            What do you think is the biggest difference your organisation makes?

The biggest difference we make at AdvoCard is ensuring that people who might otherwise be unheard actually have a voice in decisions that affect their lives. Whether it’s in mental health services, welfare, substance use support, or prison systems, we help people feel empowered rather than powerless.

A lot of the time, people feel like they’re being talked over or pushed into decisions they don’t fully understand. We change that by standing alongside them, making sure they know their rights, understand their options, and can express their views confidently. It’s not about speaking for people—it’s about making sure they get the chance to speak for themselves and that those in power actually listen.

For many, this support can be life-changing. It can mean getting access to the right treatment, keeping their benefits, improving their living situation, or simply feeling heard and respected for the first time in a long time. That’s the real impact of advocacy—it gives people back control, and that makes all the difference.

5.            What are some of the challenges you face

One of the biggest challenges we face at AdvoCard is funding. Advocacy is such an essential service, but it’s often undervalued or overlooked when it comes to funding decisions. We rely on grants and funding from various sources, and sometimes that funding is uncertain or comes with restrictions. This can make it hard to plan long-term, expand our services, or reach as many people as we’d like. The demand for advocacy is growing, but without secure funding, it’s a challenge to meet that need.

Another challenge is awareness—too many people don’t know that independent advocacy exists or that they have a right to it. We often meet people who could have benefited from advocacy much earlier if they had known about it. We work hard to spread the word, but more awareness and recognition of advocacy as a vital service would make a huge difference.

We also face challenges in making sure people get the advocacy support they need in time. Many of the systems we help people navigate—mental health services, benefits, and the justice system—can be slow and complicated. It can take time to get the right people to listen and act, and that can be frustrating for those we support.

6.            Are there any upcoming projects or initiatives you’re excited to share with us

One of the things we’re really excited about right now is expanding our outreach service. We know that many people who could benefit from advocacy don’t always know it exists or aren’t sure how to access it. Our outreach work is all about breaking down those barriers—getting out into the community, meeting people where they are, and making sure they know they have the right to advocacy.

By growing our outreach, we hope to connect with those who might not otherwise come forward to ask for advocacy but who really need it.

7.            What 3 words spring to mind when you think about Ceartas?

1. Empowerment – Advocacy is all about giving people the confidence and support to have their voices heard and make informed choices. Ceartas plays a key role in empowering individuals to take control of their own lives.
2. Independence – Independent advocacy means standing apart from other services to ensure people get unbiased, independent support. Ceartas upholds this principle, making sure those they support can speak up without conflict of interest.
3. Justice – The name Ceartas means justice in Gaelic, and that’s what they work towards—helping people access their rights, challenge unfair decisions, and ensure they are treated fairly.

9.            How can people find out more about the work that you do/contact you

If you’d like to find out more about the work we do at AdvoCard or if you or someone you know could benefit from advocacy support, there are a few ways to get in touch with us:

📧 Email us: advocacy@advocard.org.uk
📞 Call us: 0808 196 3525 (freephone)
🌍 Visit our website: www.advocard.org.uk