City of York Council (CYC) has a statutory duty to provide advocacy services for its residents under the Care Act 2014, Mental Capacity Act 2005, the Health and Social Care Act 2012 and the Mental Health Act 2007.

Advocacy means getting support from another person to help you express your views and wishes, and help you stand up for your rights. Someone who helps you in this way is called your ‘advocate’.

CYC and Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (HNYICB) currently funds York Mind to provide advocacy support services for young adults and adults, under the name York Advocacy Hub.

The current contract for the service ends on 31st March 2025 and we are in the process of reviewing the support that is provided before the new contract is agreed.

To help shape the new contract, we conducted a survey. We wanted to hear from people who have used advocacy services or might need to in the future. We also wanted to hear from their families, friends and carers, and professionals who come into contact with advocacy services.

The survey was open for 5 weeks from 15 July 2024 to 18 August 2024.