What is advocacy?

What is it?

Advocacy is support for a person who needs help with an issue. It might be a complaint, a decision that affects them, or a service that has not worked. An advocacy case is the record of that support.

Each advocacy case records:

• The person being supported.
• The issue.
• The date the case opened.
• The status.
• The outcome when the case closes.
• The related organization, if one is involved.
• Notes on the actions taken.

When do you use it?

You use advocacy when a person needs someone to speak up for them. You use it to:

• Track an issue from start to resolution.
• Keep a clear history of what was done.
• Make sure the person's rights are protected.
• Record the outcome so the person does not have to repeat their story.

Example

Hana notices that a service has not made a promised adjustment for Wiremu. She opens an advocacy case for him, describes the issue, and records the calls she makes. After the service fixes the problem, Hana records the outcome and closes the case. Wiremu's record now shows what happened and how it was resolved.

Related

• Manage an advocacy case
• What is a referral?
• What is feedback?