A free toolkit to help you speak up for yourself and make sure your voice is heard.
Self-advocacy means understanding your needs, knowing your rights, and confidently sharing what matters to you. It’s about taking an active role in decisions that affect your life.
Because you are the expert on your own life. When you advocate for yourself, you can make choices that reflect your goals, values, and preferences. It helps you feel more in control and ensures that others understand what you need.
This toolkit will give you practical tips and tools to help you speak up for yourself.
Sometimes, you might not be happy with the care or support you receive. For example, maybe your home care visits are often late, or the support worker isn’t following your care plan. Or perhaps you feel the service isn’t listening to your choices. In these situations, you might want to raise your concerns without making a formal complaint.
Start by talking to someone in the service, like your support worker or their manager. Explain what’s bothering you and what you would like to change. Keep it calm and clear.
You could say:
“I’ve noticed my visits are often late. Can we look at how to fix this?”
“I’d like my care plan to be followed more closely.”
You can do this in person, on the phone, or by email – whatever feels easiest for you. Often, services want to help and can sort things out quickly when you speak up.
It’s usually faster and less stressful than making a formal complaint. It gives the service a chance to put things right straight away. And it helps keep a good relationship between you and the people who support you.
Here’s an example of what you could say if you call:
“Hello, my name is [Your Name].
I receive support from your service, and I wanted to talk about something that isn’t working well for me.
[Explain the issue briefly, e.g., ‘My home care visits have often been late.’]
I would like [say what you want to happen, e.g., ‘the visits to be on time so I can plan my day.’]
Can you tell me what can be done to fix this?
Thank you for listening. I’d appreciate it if you could let me know what will happen next.”
Subject: Concern about my care/support
Dear [Name or Service],
I wanted to let you know about something that isn’t working well for me. [Briefly explain the issue, e.g., “My home care visits have often been late.”]
I would like [say what you want to happen, e.g., “the visits to be on time so I can plan my day.”]
Please let me know what can be done to fix this. I’m happy to talk more if needed.
Thank you for your help.
[Your Name]
Sometimes, raising concerns informally doesn’t lead to the changes you need. If you’ve tried talking to the service and things still aren’t improving, you can make a formal complaint. This is your right, and it’s an important way to make sure your voice is heard.
Find out the complaints process. Most services have a formal complaints procedure. You can ask for a copy or check their website.
Write down what happened. Be clear and include:
Say what you want to happen. For example:
Send your complaint. You can usually do this by email, letter, or an online form. Keep a copy for yourself.
Ask for a response time.
Most services should tell you when you’ll get a reply.
Subject: Concern about my care/support
Dear [Name or Service],
I wanted to let you know about something that isn’t working well for me. [Briefly explain the issue, e.g., “My home care visits have often been late.”]
I would like [say what you want to happen, e.g., “the visits to be on time so I can plan my day.”]
Please let me know what can be done to fix this. I’m happy to talk more if needed.
Thank you for your help.
[Your Name]
Sometimes, as part of the complaints process, a professional may want to meet with you to talk about your concerns. This is a chance to explain what happened, share how it affected you, and discuss what you’d like to happen next. Preparing for the meeting can help you feel confident and make sure your voice is heard.
Write down the key points
Decide what you want to happen. Be clear about the changes you’d like. For example:
Bring any evidence.
Think about how you’ll explain your points. Practice saying them in a calm and clear way.
Ask for support if you need it. You can bring a friend, family member, or advocate to the meeting.
Script for Starting the Meeting
Here’s an example of what you could say at the start:
“Thank you for meeting with me. I made a complaint because [briefly explain the issue, e.g., ‘my care plan hasn’t been followed’]. I’d like to talk about what happened and what can be done to fix it.”
If the service doesn’t resolve your complaint or you’re unhappy with their response, you can:
Ask for the complaint to be reviewed by someone more senior.
Contact the local council or commissioning body if they arranged your care.
Go to the Ombudsman (for example, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman) for an independent review.
You might wish to ask for an advocate to help you with this process.
