About Us 

Our aim is to help people to live as independently as possible, in the least restrictive environment.  Our ethos is based on our core principles and standards that enshrine a person's right to be involved and consulted about their care and treatment options, involved in any decisions affecting their life and be treated with dignity and respect. We also aim to safeguard potentially vulnerable people and help protect them from abuse, whether that is financial, psychological or physical. Advocacy can be provided by many different people; carers, family, friends or professionals but independent advocacy is different, it brings added value.

Volunteer and paid advocates will be selected, prepared and carefully matched to work on a one-to-one basis with their advocacy partner. Individual Professional Advocacy, using paid workers and volunteers, is issue based (crisis) support and Long Term advocacy is unsurprisingly long-term support, which might include support and representation, and could equally work to improve the social inclusion of the advocacy partner. All advocates (whether paid or voluntary) have regular support and supervision.

AIA has an open referrals system and accepts enquiries from any agency or individual (including self referrals).