Liberty, Advocacy, and Voice: Protecting disabled people from harm and amplifying their voices to be heard.
Our Liberty, Advocacy and Voice (LAV) services provide representation and advocacy support that protect people to live free from harm and abuse, and empower those with lived experience of disability to be heard by policymakers and decisionmakers.
We may not have the loudest voice or hold the most power, but we believe in using the power we do have and listening to the voices that society most needs to tune in to in the pursuit to build a more accessible world.
Liberty, Advocacy and Voice: Paid Persons
Representative Service (PPRS)
We represent and advocate for vulnerable people.
There are times when it becomes necessary, for the best interest of a person, to be deprived of their liberty or have their freedoms restricted in some way. When this happens, the managing authority (either a care home or hospital) must request an assessment and authorisation from their Local Authority to review the restrictions, making sure they are lawful, truly in the best interest of the person, and that no less restrictive alternative is available.
Every person who is deprived of their liberty under the Mental Capacity Act must have a representative. This can be a family member, a friend, or a Paid Persons Representative (PPR).
That's where we come in. We represent over 650 vulnerable people who are deprived of their liberty.
Our team of PPRs are qualified advocates with extensive experience and expert knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards legislation. In the role of the representative our team will:
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Visit the person deprived of their liberty regularly
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Help the person to better understand their DoLS authorisation and how it affects them
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Assist the person to understand and to exercise their rights if they want to
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Ensure that all of the conditions attached to the authorisation are met
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Where necessary, request a review or challenge an authorisation, or if not successful refer the case to the Court of Protection.
Our PPRs are independent from any care home, hospital, or Supervisory Body. Please note: this service is accessed by referral through the Leicester City and Leicestershire County Council.
For more information, guidance, and forms relating to the Mental Capacity Act Deprivation of Safeguards from the Department of Health and Social Care, click on the button below.
Liberty, Advocacy and Voice: Lived Experience Participation Groups
Society has so much to learn from people with a disability and those supporting them. We want the voices of those with lived experiences to be heard and deeply listened to.
This is vital for society to be shaped to accurately respond to and embrace disability.
When disabled people want to tell their story, we listen.
Our lived experience participation groups exist to give disabled people in our community space to share their experiences, make their voices heard about issues that are important to them and make these issues important to wider society.
We know that when society is shaped with everyone in mind, everyone benefits.
Led by those with lived experience, our groups for Physical Disabilities, Learning Disabilities, Autism, and Mental Health join people together, provide support and inspire positive change.
We help to build courage and hope for people to voice their concerns and ideas for change. This can be in healthcare, in the workplace, in systems of welfare and social care, on housing issues, in education and more.
Ultimately, we aspire for disabled people to know they are worth listening to, and that they have the power to inspire others to make positive developments in society.
To find out more or to request to join a group, contact us.
