Independent Advocacy safeguards people who are vulnerable and discriminated against or whom services find difficult to serve, empowering people who need a stronger voice by enabling them to express their own needs and make their own decisions.
The Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance (SIAA) promotes, supports and defends the principles and practice of independent advocacy across Scotland. The SIAA does this by:
- Providing a strong national voice for independent advocacy organisations
- Supporting the growth of existing independent advocacy organisations
- Promoting the development of new independent advocacy organisations
- Encouraging existing advocacy organisations towards independence
Find out about the spend on advocacy in the 2009–2010 year and the number of people accessing advocacy during that period by downloading the
Advocacy Map
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Recession brings hard times for vulnerable people in Scotland
Scottish Independent Advocacy organisations report that the economic recession is having an increasingly negative impact on the most vulnerable members of our society.
 ‘More for Less? Independent Advocacy – More demand, less funding’ details the findings of research into the delivery of Independent Advocacy in the current economic downturn and reports on the experience of Scottish Independent Advocacy providers in relation to demand for and funding of advocacy.
Demand for Independent Advocacy has shown a steady increase over the past 18 months to two years with increasingly large numbers of referrals as a direct or indirect result of the recession.
Service users increasingly are raising concerns about the reduction of support services, and issues associated with the withdrawal of such services. These included the reduction of support hours, the loss of community support programmes, and the loss of other local authority services.
Changes to the benefits system have caused particular concern and uncertainty amongst service users with advocacy organisations reporting increased numbers of people seeking support to appeal decisions on benefits awards including attendance at medicals and interviews. In addition to direct advocacy support for issues around benefits and changes there are reports of increasing levels of anxiety amongst service users arising from anticipated cuts to benefits. Service users report that this contributes to deterioration in their mental health.
Read the More For Less report
or download our press release.
For more information contact Muriel Mowat on 0131 260 5380
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About Advocacy: Winter edition available now
The winter edition of About Advocacy is now available for download here (pdf, 1292kb). If you are subscribed to receive a paper version, it should be with you any day now.
 In this Edition:
CAP report shows that every £1 spent on advocacy gives back £5.90 in value. Find out how CAP placed this value on their work and what other Advocacy Organisations have found using the same methodology.
Other content includes an update on the Consultation on a Mental Health Strategy for Scotland and the SIAA consultation which is taking place around it and an update from NHS Scotland on Mental Health services for Deaf people.
CEMVO tell us about their Mainstreaming Race Equality Support programme and offer free support to mainstream Advocacy Organisations in Equality Impact Assessment processes.
Muriel Mowat previews the Mental Health Tribunal Guidance for Independent Advocates that the SIAA has been working on with input from member organisations.
If you would like to receive a paper copy of the SIAA quarterly magazine, or have any feedback or ideas for future articles, please email us at enquiry@siaa.org.uk.
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