Independent Advocacy Social Care Fund: form and guidance
Guidance on how to apply for funding to provide collective, citizen or peer independent advocacy to support people accessing social care support. This fund is now closed to applications.
After you apply
This fund is now closed to applications.
Once the closing date has passed we will review all applications.
Applications received after the closing date, or those that are incomplete or do not contain the requested supporting information, will not be considered. Those that meet the initial organisational and project requirements listed in the eligibility section will then be assessed by an assessment panel against the following criteria (which follow the application questions detailed in the how to apply section):
- to what extent a clear plan for the project is provided, including outcomes and project roles, and how well it links to the fund’s overarching aim
- if the project links to an existing project, to what extent it is distinct, with clear lines of separation between the two
- to what extent the organisation has experience of the type of advocacy provision it is planning for the project (collective, peer or citizen) and a reasonable plan as to ensure any staff involved in delivery have sufficient knowledge and understanding of the particular type
- to what extent the organisation has a realistic plan to recruit the selected community of advocacy partners the project will focus on
- to what extent the organisation has an understanding of the local social care system, routes to connect to local social care-related staff, and a plan as to how to engage local social care-related staff for ensuring the advocacy partners’ voices are heard
- to what extent the actions, outputs and timeframes are realistic, and to what extent they link to the project’s outcomes
- to what extent the planned oversight is suitable for ensuring the delivery of intended outcomes
- to what extent the project plan outlines clear ways to ensure it is inclusive, accessible and supports diversity, including meeting diverse needs, being culturally aware, and fostering good relations between people with different protected characteristics
- to what extent the organisation is familiar with collecting and sharing anonymous monitoring, evaluation, and diversity data to support understanding of projects
- to what extent the projected costs are detailed, reasonable and connected to the project
- to what extent the project meets any wider Fair Work First requirements
- to what extent the project links to the National Performance Framework and the Scottish Government’s priorities
If your application is successful, you will receive an offer of grant detailing the conditions of funding. We will aim to inform you of a decision by the end of October 2025.
Key dates
The timeline for the Independent Advocacy Social Care Fund is as follows:
- final application deadline: 8am on 22 September 2025
- applicants notified of outcome: end of October 2025
- project start: April 2026
- projects must be completed: end of March 2027