I am not able to take on advocacy cases personally, but if you are having problems related to adult social care and/or mental capacity law, I may be able to send you some general information and possibly suggest potential sources of help.
For those seeking help with the adult social care system, I have some quick guides available on:
Autistic access to assessment/reassessment
Care planning - time limits and delays
Charging for social care - Disability related expenses
What don't I do?
I am not able to provide advocacy myself. Nor can I offer counselling or psychological support. I am not a solicitor and cannot offer legal advice.
What will happen if you contact me?
If you email me asking for help with an issue related to adult social care and/or mental capacity law, I will do one of two things:
(1) Suggest possible sources of help
Sometimes there are good local services which can support you in getting the services you need. As I can’t take on cases myself, I offer a free referral service. This means that, if I think you can get support from someone else I will suggest the best place to get that support. I may also be able to provide a small amount of general information about the law on adult social care or mental capacity.
(2) Explain why what you are hoping for is impossible or very unlikely
It may be that what you need is a service which doesn’t exist or that the legal or policy situation in the UK means you just can’t get. If this is the case I will be honest with you.
Who may I be able to offer some general information or suggestions to?
Autistic adults who are experiencing problems related to adult social care or mental capacity law.
Parents of autistic children who are experiencing problems related to adult social care or mental capacity law, provided the help the parent is seeking is consistent with a positive view of their autistic child. Read more: Autism Politics.
Friends/carers/parents of an autistic adult seeking support for issues related to adult social care or mental capacity law for that person, provided they have the consent of the autistic adult. However, I prefer to communicate by email with autistic adults directly and will seek to do so.
Professionals seeking support for issues related to adult social care or mental capacity law for an autistic adult. However, I prefer to communicate by email with autistic adults directly and will seek to do so.
As I specialise in autism, I cannot help personally with other disabilities or with issues unrelated to autism, however I may be able to suggest places to go for appropriate help.
Access Policy
I understand that many people who need help with issues related to adult social care and mental capacity law are on a low income. I do not charge for initial enquiries or for referring people to other services. However, I have limited time and am unlikely to be able to respond at length or provide ongoing support or advice.
I am not able to provide advice, information or ‘chat’ about issues by phone. I am not able to come to meetings or visit people in person.