Social Security: advocacy service standards

Principle 3 – Person Centred

Your advocacy worker is on your side, puts you first and is directed by your rights, needs, views and wishes.

Your advocacy worker will obtain your formal agreement, if you are able to give it, before acting on your behalf.

Your advocacy worker will represent you by protecting your rights in line with the Scottish social security principles as set out in section 1 of the 2018 Act.

Your advocacy worker will agree their actions with you and base these on your desired outcomes and what you want to achieve.

You are trusted and valued and will be treated with dignity, fairness and respect.

You will be kept informed of and involved in all aspects of the advocacy process.

The information you share with your advocacy worker will be kept confidential, except where there are safeguarding concerns.

If you tell your advocacy worker that you may be at risk of harm or that you want to harm yourself or someone else they will discuss this with you but may need to share this information with others without your consent.

If your advocacy worker observes signs or behaviours of harm that causes concern, and due to capacity, are unable to discuss this with you, they will share this information with relevant others (e.g. Social Security Scotland, and/or Local Authority Social Work department).

You, or your legal representative if you have one, can ask to see the information the service holds about you and your case.