Welcome to Kernow Directory. Organisations supporting adults across Cornwall are continuing to add their details. If you are an organisation, please visit one of our directories and click “Add a listing.”
Our information, advice and guidance pages are co-produced with people who have lived experience and will continue to grow.
Sometimes people need help expressing their wishes. They might also need help understanding information around health, care and support decisions.
Advocacy is having someone to help you with this.
An advocate is someone who supports and represents you when dealing with issues to do with your:
care and support
medical treatment
mental health needs
An advocate could be a family member or friend. You can also have an independent advocate, if there isn't anyone else suitable to help you.
Advocates help people to:
speak up for themselves
get their voice heard
understand and use their rights
find and understand information
make their own decisions about what they need and want
tell people like social workers, nurses and doctors what they want
An independent advocate is someone who is paid to support you to make sure that:
your views and rights are respected
you are treated fairly
your concerns are taken into account
you have real control over the big decisions in your life
They can help you:
speak up at meetings
deal with difficult issues
understand important decisions that are being made
challenge decisions that you don’t agree with
They are professionally trained. Support is free, confidential and independent of the local authority and/ or health service.
The Advocacy People deliver the Independent Advocacy service in Cornwall. This includes the following:
An Advocacy Hub
A single point of access to advocacy and signposting
Independent Advocacy
Provides support from paid advocates with:
statutory advocacy
care act advocacy
mental capacity advocacy
mental health advocacy
health complaints advocacy
Specialist Advocacy
Provides support from paid advocates with:
non-statutory advocacy
parents advocacy
appropriate adults support with police questioning
adult social care complaints advocacy
Community Advocacy
Access to support for:
self-advocates
peer / volunteer advocates
advocacy groups
non-statutory issue-based community advocacy
Advocacy Training
Training on advocacy principles for people who use services, their families, and professionals.
The Advocacy People have created this helpful video to explain how they can help
For further information on Advocacy please see The Advocacy People website. This includes the services they provide in Cornwall and contact details:
Visit The Advocacy People website
The Council must involve people in decisions made about them and their care and support. We want to help people understand their options and to make their own decisions.
There are 'statutory duties' that tell the Council when they must involve an independent advocate. You can speak with your Adult Care and Support worker about how to make a referral to The Advocacy People.