Parental Advocacy
Elfrida is proud to offer a specialist advocacy service for parents with learning disabilities and/or autism or learning difficulties (LDAD) to understand and navigate the complex court processes of child protection and foster care.
Our advocates have extensive experience in this field and will support parents at every stage of their journey within the care system.
Types of support on offer include preparing, attending and debriefing with parents at meetings or court hearings and liaising with social care and legal professionals.
We also provide easy read information about advocacy for new clients. Referrals to this service are usually made and funded by Social Services. You can find out more about our parental advocacy and how to make a referral here:
Specialist Advocacy for Parents with LDAD Leaflet
What is an ESPP Advocate Leaflet
Parents' Project - Referral Form
ESPP flowchart
Advocacy Charter A3
Or you can contact us on advocacy@elfrida.com or 07801 529963.
Our Impact
Timely independent advocacy offers numerous benefits, including promoting social justice, reducing stigma for individuals with LDAD in parenting. It enhances communication with professionals, emphasising a two way process, and raises awareness of disability rights and children's rights. Additionally, it generates a significant social return on investment by preserving family unity, thereby avoiding costly child protection processes, foster care, or adoption.
Overall, investing in timely advocacy contributes to a more equitable and inclusive society while ensuring positive outcomes for individuals with LDAD and their families.
During the last two years parents supported by the project achieved the following outcomes:
- 39% parents maintained parental responsibility
- 29% parents having regular contact with their children who are in long-term foster care arrangements
- 11% sharing parental responsibility with family or friends and the Local Authority.
Care Act and Community Advocacy
Our Care Act advocates support clients to understand their rights to be fully involved in a local authority assessment, care and support planning, care review, or safeguarding process.
Getting the right care and support can be crucial for this to happen, but many people with learning disabilities lack the right support and services in their local community.
Our advocates can help identify support needs, prepare for assessments and will also help clients be involved in making and reviewing every decision.
They can offer support with finances, housing, legal problems, welfare benefits, mental and physical health, safeguarding and bereavement.
Referrals to this service are usually made and funded by Social Services. You can find out more about our advocacy support offer and how to make a referral here:
Community & Care Act Advocacy - Referral Form
Care Act Advocacy Leaflet
Or you can contact us on advocacy@elfrida.com or 07801 529963.
Health Advocacy
We also provide free advocacy for adults 18+ with LDAD to access support attending medical appointments, improving access to health care support, and resolving issues with health providers.
Our advocates can support clients to keep track of and attend appointments and complete health action plans, hospital passports and care reviews.
They will also ensure clients understand what health professionals say to ensure they make the best decisions for their situations.
Clients can self-refer by contacting us directly. We also receive referrals from local authorities, specialist services, carers, family members and self-referrals.
You can find out more about our community and health advocacy and how to make a referral here:
Health Advocacy Leaflet
Health Advocacy Referral Form
Or you can contact us on advocacy@elfrida.com or 07801 529963.
Rethink Advocacy
Strengthening Advocacy Through Partnership: The Elfrida Society and Rethink Advocacy, funded by Islington and Camden Councils.
At the Elfrida Society, we are proud to partner with Rethink Advocacy to provide comprehensive advocacy services that align with our commitment to inclusion, equality, and challenging misconceptions about learning disabilities. Through this partnership, we ensure that individuals in our community have access to high-quality advocacy support tailored to their specific needs. Rethink Advocacy's expertise spans both statutory and non-statutory advocacy, ensuring that people are heard, understood, and empowered within the health and social care system locally in Islington and Camden, and across the UK.
While Rethink Advocacy offers a wide range of services, including Independent Mental Health Advocacy, NHS Complaints Advocacy, and Independent Mental Capacity Act Advocacy, we at Elfrida are recognised as specialists in delivering Care Act Advocacy and Community Advocacy for people with learning disabilities in Islington and Camden. We are dedicated to providing person-cantered advocacy that supports individuals in navigating the Care Act process. This includes helping people understand their rights to be fully involved in local authority assessments, care and support planning, care reviews, and safeguarding processes.
In addition to Care Act Advocacy, our Community Advocacy services offer support with a range of issues including finances, housing, legal problems, welfare benefits, mental and physical health, safeguarding, and bereavement.
Referrals can be made directly to Elfrida by downloading their referral form and sending it here:
advocacy@elfrida.com or call 07801 529963.
Or through the Rethink Advocacy website
or contact by phone: 0300 790 0559
or email: advocacyreferralhub@rethink.org
Our easy read leaflet can be accessed here:
https://www.rethink.org/media/5596/camden_and_islington_advocacy-service.pdf
