What is advocacy?
Sometimes adults don’t listen to children and young people.
Advocacy is about changing that. It’s about making sure you are listened to and that your right to be heard is respected.
It’s also about understanding what your choices and options are and having help to work out what you think is best for you, not what anyone else thinks.
It’s also about understanding what your rights are and how they can be used to help you.
Advocates can help you to:
- Work out what you want to say
- Communicate your views, wishes and feelings
- Get adults to listen and understand you better
- Speak for you if you prefer
They can also help you to:
- Talk things through
- Understand your rights and get them respected
- Get unbiased information about what you want to know
- Work out your options
- Complain about a service or the way you have been treated
Maze advocates are independent and will:
- Be honest with you
- Stand up for you
- Treat you as an equal
- Respect your privacy
- Listen to you
- Only do what you ask them to
- Stop working with you when you say you don’t want their help anymore
Find out more
If you just want to find out more about if we can help or you want to arrange to see an advocate we are only a call or e-mail away.
Your Voice, Your Rights
- Your Voice, Your Rights
- What things can we help with?
- What is advocacy?
- Meet the people at Maze
- How did the Maze Advocacy Project begin?
- How to be your own advocate
- Your first meeting with an advocate
- A day in the life of a Maze advocate
- 'It's My Business' - your privacy with us
- Your Rights
- Maze Young Advisors Group
We help young people age 6-19 in Somerset to get their views heard on issues affecting their emotional or mental wellbeing. Our service is free, independent and confidential.