Advocacy service

Our friendly in-house advocates provide a range of care and housing advice. If appropriate they act on your behalf if there is a dispute regarding the level or quality of care you receive or if there are concerns regarding your housing situation.

If you or someone close to you is unhappy about the level of care they are receiving or being offered or have a housing dispute whether living in social housing or private rented, then we may be able to advocate on your behalf to resolve the issues.

Here are some of the care related issues we can assist with;

• Hospital discharge - If you are worried about how you will cope after time in hospital, or what care you will receive when you leave, we can advise and help you.
• Continuing Heath Care Funding (CHC) - If you are assessed as having a "Primary Health Need", then the NHS will pay for your care. We can advise on whether you may qualify for CHC and help you through the process and challenge decisions where appropriate.
• Support with Care Assessments and Financial Assessments - If you feel you need help with your everyday care or you are receiving care via the local authority, then we can advocate on your behalf if you believe that you are not getting the level of care you need or think you are paying too much.
• Help with getting Domiciliary Care - If you are receiving care at home and you are unhappy with the amount of care you are receiving or the level of care, then we can help challenge the local authority on your behalf.
• Care Homes - If you are in a residential home or a nursing home, and there are issues that are not being resolved, we can advocate on your behalf.
• Disabled Facility Grants - If you have applied for a grant from the local authority for disability adaptations and these have been refused or not being implemented, then we can help challenge the local authority decision.
• Carers - If you are caring for someone then you may be entitled to a carers assessment to get help with your needs. We can help you to get the assistance you are entitled to.

Here are some of the housing related issues we can assist with;

• Homelessness - If you are homeless or threatened with homelessness, we can help you to get assistance from the local authority. We can advise on and where appropriate challenge any decisions they make that you are not happy with. 
• Social Housing - If you are waiting for Council housing and you are unhappy with a decision regarding your application, we may be able to challenge it.
• Disrepair and Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) - If your landlord is not making necessary repairs or you are suffering ASB from neighbours, we can help you to get appropriate support from the local authority.
• Repossession- If you are threatened with repossession of your home from the mortgage provider we may be able to advise and advocate for you.

If you have a care or housing problem and think we can assist you, then please email welfarenavigators@rafbf.org.uk or call 0300 102 1919.

Our advocacy team will provide support and assistance as quickly as possible, but please note we cannot respond immediately. 

If you have an immediate concern (especially around safeguarding) you should engage directly with your Local Authority (adult services or children's services) or the police who have a statutory responsibility to help.

If you require benefits advice, take a look at the ways we can help.