Aylesbury Vale Advocates (AVA) was formed in 1990 and became incorporated as a Company Limited by Guarantee in June 1997.  We were registered as a charity with the Charities Commission in August 1997. 

 

What is our Aim?

As a free and independent advocacy service, our aim is to empower vulnerable people by providing effective communication skills
on their behalf. 

The service is provided within the Vale of Aylesbury for adults, 18 or over with mental health issues, learning difficulties / disabilities or limited communication skills.

Examples of the issues we address are:-

    • Housing and financial
    • Correspondence and paperwork
    • Support at meetings, for example with healthcare professionals, and social services
    • Un-instructed advocacy for those who lack the capacity and understanding for decision making
    • Support with court and tribunal appearances and meetings with legal professionals
    • Supporting families through Court of Protection issues

The service is provided by trained volunteer advocates and a team of professional coordinators and administrators.

We aim to listen to people, put forward their viewpoint and support their rights as individuals.  By providing this support we hope to improve the experience and quality of life for those who choose to use our services. 

The aims are fulfilled by responding to referrals  received from a wide variety of statutory and other agencies.  All new referrals are assessed to determine eligibility for support and then allocated to a trained advocacy coordinator or volunteer.  Advocates are trained to ascertain, at the outset, the precise needs of the person by listening carefully to their issues or seeking appropriate means of communication to find the information.

Limitations to the service

AVA is funded to work within the district of Aylesbury Vale only and is not able to advocate for children i.e. for those under 18 years of age.  Similarly we do not provide advocacy for people over the age of 65 with mental health problems such as dementia - these services are available from Age Concern Buckinghamshire.  However, services are provided for some elderly people with learning disabilities who are living in residential care.  People in wheelchairs are not able to access our office if unable to get out of their wheelchair.  Alternative arrangements can be made to see people outside the office if necessary.

 

The People

We are a small, friendly charity comprising a group of 30+ committed and trained volunteers and a small team of trained Coordinators.  In addition to providing advocacy support for a wide range of vulnerable people, the Coordinators also oversee the activities of the volunteers who are partnered with clients in the community.  We also have a General Manager, a Volunteer Support and Administration Manager, plus an Independent Mental Capacity Advocate (IMCA).

Our Management Board consists of people from a wide variety of backgrounds with skills and experience which can be utilised in the organisation, planning and development of the charity.  The overall objective is to achieve a balance which reflects both the community in which we work and the people we try to support.

 

What do Advocates do?

A significant amount of an advocate’s time is spent finding information and presenting choices – sometimes people are unaware of their rights, the options available to them and the benefits to which  they are entitled. Very often this means trying to achieve a practical outcome to everyday problems that some people, due to illness or disability, are unable to resolve. Some of the work involves helping people with their correspondence and paperwork or supporting them at interviews and meetings with health service professionals, solicitors or County / Magistrate Court appearances, or helping families through Court of Protection issues.

Other examples of work done by our advocates include supporting people through care assessments and reviews, attending meetings for budget advice, housing, benefits or debt collection and liaising with mortgage companies, banks, rehabilitation agencies, or education officers.

We also support people with learning difficulties /disabilities, some of whom may be non-verbal, who live in residential homes or supported living.  For people who have little or no communication abilities, the principles of un-instructed advocacy are used to build up a picture of the person's likes, dislikes and preferences.  The advocate would then try to uphold the person's rights to ensure fair and equal treatment and access to services.  This would also include ensuring that any decisions take into account the person's unique preferences and perspectives. 

 

We always try to encourage the principle of self advocacy, that is, encouraging people to speak up for themselves – often the fact that someone is there to support them means that they find enough confidence to speak out.

AVA is committed to the rights and interests of individuals and to that end operates an equal opportunities policy. No-one connected to the organisation, either as a volunteer, member of staff, job applicant or user of the service, is treated less favourably than another on the grounds of social class, race, ethnic origin, gender, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, age or disability.

Staff and volunteers strive to be non-judgemental and respectful of peoples' needs, views and experiences.