Advocacy spotlight - Alan

11 minutes ago

2 min read

Our team of professional advocates are here to help make your voice heard. Every member of our team brings a wealth of experience and compassion so through our Advocate Spotlight series we’re proud to introduce you to the people behind the service – the skilled, dedicated advocates who work every day to support people who need them.

Meet Alan

How did you become an advocate?

In the late 90s I was working in residential care whilst also studying and one of the course modules was Advocacy and Representation. Advocacy was a relatively new concept in those days but my interest was piqued and I applied for a newly created role within a local charity. The rest is history!

What is the best thing about your job?

Meeting and talking to a wide range of people, from differing backgrounds. I love to hear about their life histories and stories. I spend time building up their trust so that they can confide in me about any worries and concerns and convince them to speak up or let me help them to initiate changes they need to make in their lives.

What are you most proud of as an advocate?

Developing my skills to effectively communicate with people who have cognitive decline ie. dementia and living in care homes. Over the years I have helped to empower many people to be rehoused, often through the court process and see first hand them thrive in a new environment. This aspect of the role is very, very rewarding

What is a working day like?

No two days are the same. I can be visiting care homes, seeing multiple people who are very settled generally to attending Teams meetings and case conferences, putting forward solutions for those with particular issues, such as safeguarding, responding to emails and writing reports for statutory bodies and frequently juggling my working week to accommodate new situations arising!!

I am also often asked to mentor new advocates coming into the role whether in paid positions or as volunteers.

For more information about our advocacy services, visit www.yvc.org.uk/advocacy.