Independent Advocacy

Independent Advocacy Services

Our independent advocacy services enable us to support people who need help to speak up and have their voices heard. With our team of experienced advocates, we listen, support and empower people to get their voices heard, obtain positive outcomes and help shape health and social care services. 

We offer high-quality advocacy services tailored to meet local requirements, including helping to support other local Healthwatch in setting up their own advocacy services. 

Our advocacy service delivers a wide range of statutory and non-statutory advocacy services and incorporates a diverse training offer for commissioners and service providers, with the ability to commission peer review complaints panels and establish advocacy focus groups.

We deliver a range of services including Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy, Independent Mental Health Advocacy, NHS Complaints Advocacy, Care Act Advocacy and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. All of our advocates hold the nationally recognised independent qualification in advocacy and we are proud to hold the QPM accreditation, evidencing the quality and high performance of our advocacy services.

If you require further information or to speak with a member of our advocacy team, contact us: contactus@weareecs.co.uk 

Independent Person Support

Dealing effectively with complaints is key to developing services that are properly based on customer experience. Ensuring that customer feedback is acted upon, redress given where necessary, and lessons learned to improve practice are all at the heart of the ECS philosophy. 

We are available to provide Independent Person Services for complaint investigations to Local Authorities to ensure the statutory requirements of the Children’s Act 1989 in relation to complaints and representations, the Children (Secure Accommodation)Regulations 1991 and the appointment of Independent Persons for adult service complainants under the new Local Authority Social Services and National Health Services Complaints (England) Regulations 2009 can be met. 

We have a diverse network of experienced Independent Persons on our panel from health and social care backgrounds as well as other disciplines. All our panel members are fully vetted with enhanced DBS disclosures, have verified references, comprehensive insurance and photo ID cards. 

ECS ensures objectivity and impartiality in consideration of complaints with respect to decisions made and actions taken in response. Our comprehensive policies and procedures cover all aspects of our Independent Person service including simple user-friendly administration protocols and fully secure and encrypted document / data storage facilities allowing online collaboration with Local Authorities.