All Community Care clients have the right to use an advocate.
What is an advocate?
An advocate may provide information and advice in order to help you to take action to resolve any concerns, or may take a more active role in representing your rights to another person or organisation.
Who can be an advocate?
An advocate can be a family member, your main carer, legal representative, trusted friend or someone from an agency that provides advocacy services.
Your Service Coordinator or Care Management Officer at the City of Greater Geelong may be able to provide you with advocacy assistance or refer you to an agency that specialises in this service.
Why use an advocate?
It is important to be able to exercise your rights. An advocate can help make sure that you are not disadvantaged due to any disability, your age, gender, sexual preference or your cultural background.
When to use an advocate
There may be times when you feel it is hard to speak up for yourself so an advocate can help you:
- to access services
- to change services
- making sure your services are right for you
- communicate with service provider staff
- negotiate a suitable resolution if there was a complaint or a dispute.
Advocacy agencies
| Assert 4 All |
Phone: |
03 5221 8011 |
| ADEC (Action on Disability in Ethnic Communities) |
Phone: |
03 9480 700 or |
| 1800 626 078 |
| Email: |
info@adec.org.au |
| Elder Rights Advocacy (Victoria) |
Phone: |
03 9602 3066 or |
1800 700 600
Free call in Victoria except from mobile phones |
| Email: |
era@era.asn.au |
| Regional Information & Advocacy Council (RIAC) |
Phone: |
03 5245 7986 |
| Email: |
geelong@riac.org.au |
| Villamanta Disability Rights Legal Service |
Phone: |
1800 014 111
(Information service relating to disability legal issues) |
| VALID (Victorian Advocacy League for Individuals with Disability) |
Phone: |
03 9416 4003 or |
1800 655 570
(Rural Victoria only) |
| Email: |
office@valid.org.au |
| Office of the Public Advocate |
Phone: |
03 9603 9500 or |
| 1300 309 337 |
| TTY: |
1300 305 612 |
| Migrant Resource Centre |
Phone: |
03 5221 6044 |
| Email: |
info@diversitat.org.au |