What is advocacy?
An advocate is someone who can speak up for you. They can help if you face difficulties in being involved in decisions about your care, having your voice heard and normally have no other independent person to help you do so.
An advocate can help you say what you want, secure your rights, represent your interests, and obtain services you need.
Advocacy is free, independent, and confidential.
How to get support from an advocate
Some advocacy services you can get for yourself, without any help from us, by contacting our local advocacy provider directly. Other advocacy will only be given to you if it is agreed that you are eligible for it.
In Surrey, POhWER provides a range of different advocacy services.
You can contact them in a number of ways:
- Telephone: 0300 456 2370
- Text: Send the word 'pohwer' with your name and number to 81025
- Skype: pohwer.advocacy
- Email: pohwer@pohwer.net
If you are a professional wishing to refer a client, please visit: Referrals for Surrey Adult Advocacy Services.
Need help to make a complaint about NHS services?
If you live in Surrey and are unhappy with the NHS treatment you have received, Healthwatch Surrey in partnership with Surrey Independent Living Charity (SILC) can provide free, confidential and independent support to help you to make a complaint about an NHS service. This team is called the Independent Health Complaints Advocacy service.
You can contact the SILC team at:
- Telephone: 01483 310 500
- Text (SMS): 07704 265 377
- Email: nhsadvocacy@surreyilc.org.uk