Self Advocacy

 

The Self Advocacy movement started in the 1970s to help disabled people have more control over their own lives. 

 

Self-advocacy is the ability to speak up for yourself and the things that are important to you.  

 

Self-advocacy is about people with learning disabilities and those who are neurodivergent being in control of their own lives. This means having the ability to speak up for what they want and being listened to on matters that are important to them. It means being given the right tools, information, and support to be able to make their own decisions.  

 

The goal of self-advocacy is for people with learning disabilities or who are neurodivergent to find the skills and confidence to speak up for their own rights and to make choices and decisions that affect their lives.  

 

How self-advocacy can help 

 

• Helps people to have the confidence and skills to make decisions 

• People can voice their choices better  

• Improves awareness of support services 

• Offers training and guidance to make choices  

 

Where/When is self-advocacy useful? 

 

• During medical or educational assessments 

• When developing or reviewing care plans/support plans 

• Making a complaint 

• Day to day life 

 

How can I find a self-advocacy group near me?  

 

We work with several self-advocacy groups across the North of England. Some groups are well-established, whilst others are new. Our Cloverleaf team is committed to supporting the self-advocacy movement and often arranges for relevant training courses and life skills projects in partnership with the groups we work alongside.