Advocacy
is about getting the support and advice to help YOU make the choices and decisions for yourself.
Organisations shown here provide a range of statutory and non-statutory advocacy as shown under "Advocacy provided?" and will be happy to explain in more details exactly what they can offer.
See information about this list and RAN Membership, below *
| Organisation | * RAN Member? |
Address | Website | Main Contact | Phone | Advocacy provided? | How to access |
| Age UK Berkshire |
Y | 119 London Street, RG1 4QA |
www.ageuk .org.uk/ berkshire |
Fiona Price | 0118 959 4242 | Non-statutory advocacy, limited due to staff resource. Support for people aged 50+ to access services. ‘Telephone advocacy’ with people present - about benefits, utilities, adult social care, housing, etc. | Call for appointment: Mon & Tues 9:30-16:30; Wed & Thurs 9:30-13:30. We accept referrals by individuals themselves, social care and health care professionals, or others. |
| Age UK Reading |
Y | 42 Portman Road, RG30 1EA |
www.ageuk .org.uk/ reading |
Matt Taylor | 0118 950 2480 | Statutory advocacy - Care Act, and non-statutory advocacy. | Via social worker referral for Care Act Advocacy. Otherwise just call or email us. For non-statutory advocacy we accept referrals by individuals themselves, social care and health care professionals, or others. |
| British Red Cross |
Y | 90 Eastern Avenue, RG1 5SF |
www.redcross .org.uk |
Arjun Malhotra | 0300 333 5393 | Non-statutory advocacy - to refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants. Access to asylum support, children and adult social services, health & wellbeing services. Includes making statutory referrals, accompanying the most-vulnerable to appointments/meetings, following up on issues, involving legal advocates. | Referrers and service users can call our 0300 333 5393 - instant access to interpreters is available. Our Reading office has a drop in on Thursdays 10:30-13:30. We accept referrals by individuals themselves, social care and health care professionals, or others. |
| Citizens Advice Reading |
Y | 40 Minster Street, RG1 2JB |
rcab.org.uk | 0300 330 2182 | Non-statutory advocacy. Informal advocacy across a range of holistic advice services, representation at Employment Tribunals, support at benefits appeal sessions & support at the County Court for housing. | We accept referrals by individuals themselves, social care and health care professionals, or others. | |
| CommuniCare | Y | 233 Kings Road, RG12 4LS |
www. communicare. org.uk |
Francesa Yates |
0118 926 3941 | Non-statutory, informal advocacy giving necessary support to the vulnerable and marginalised. Assisting clients with many different issues, including welfare benefits (applications & appeals), housing & employment. | Daily drop-in service at the CommuniCare Advice Centre. Outreach sessions each day in locations across Reading. Referrals from individuals, partner agencies and health care professionals for our home visiting service. |
| Graft Thames Valley |
Y | 445-449 Oxford Road, RG30 1HD |
graft.org.uk | Hazel Wright | 0796 014 2375 | Non-statutory advocacy. Individual advocacy - attending appointments with clients, making phone calls, filling forms. | Contact Graft with details. We accept referrals by individuals themselves, social care and health care professionals, or 3rd Sector organisations. |
| Healthwatch Reading | Y | 3rd Floor, Reading Library, RG1 3BQ |
healthwatch reading.org.uk |
Carl Borges | 0118 937 2295 | Statutory Advocacy - Care Act, NHS Complaints, Social Care Complaints, and Independent Mental Health Advocacy. Non-statutory informal advocacy for people with health or social care needs. |
There are different referral routes for each type of advocacy: see readingvoice.org.uk for details |
| Launchpad | Y | 1a Merchants Place, RG1 1DT |
www.launchpad reading.org.uk |
Janine Breakspear | 0118 929 1111 | Non-statutory advocacy. Drop-in advice Mon, Wed & Fri 10:00-14:00. Housing - support navigating the social and private rented sector. Finances - support challenging statutory decisions, e.g. mandatory reconsiderations, applying for Universal Credit. Legal advice provided, e.g. to challenge an invalid S21. Signposting to external agencies - mental health, social services, physical health services. | Self-referral during our Drop-in times. |
| PACT (Alana House) |
N | 2 South Street, RG1 4QS |
www.pactcharity .org |
Kathryn Warner | 0118 921 7640 | Non-statutory advocacy for women only - emotional support, counselling, confidence building, empowerment, support with action plans, keywork, group work, multi-agency work. | Women can self-refer either through completing a referral form (our website) or attending a drop-in Monday, Wednesday, Thursday 12:30-2:30pm. Professionals can also refer via referral form or accompanying the woman to the drop-in. |
| Readifood/ Faith Christian Group |
N | 33 Boulton Road, RG2 0NH |
readifood .org.uk |
Alison Peyton | 0118 987 2672 | Non-statutory. No individual advocacy, but advocacy to policymakers regarding the homeless and those needing food. | By phone or through our website. We accept referrals from social care and health care professionals and others. |
| Reading Community Learning Centre |
N | 94 London Street, RG1 4SJ |
www.rclc.org.uk | Aisha Malik | 0118 959 9009 or 0118 959 5455 |
Non-statutory advocacy for women only – emotional support, confidence building, empowerment, progression advice, interpretation, outreach work, multi-agency work and active referral support – going with BAME women to solicitors, CAR, RCWRU, DWP, Social Services, Doctors on an appointment basis. |
By email or phone, for BAME women only. We accept referrals by individuals themselves, social care and health care professionals, or others such as family & friends. |
| Reading Community Welfare Rights Unit |
Y | 252 Northum-berland Avenue, RG2 7QA |
Reading Community Welfare Rights Unit | Peter Kayes or Karen Giles |
0118 955 1070 | Quasi-statutory and non-statutory. Assisting clients with welfare benefits issues. Will act as a representative to help clients tell their story/express their issue. Will deal formally with DWP and HMRC over mandatory reconsiderations and appeals as well as help prepare documents for Tribunals. | Through the office, in person, by phone or by email. We accept referrals by individuals themselves or by others. |
| Reading Mencap |
Y | 21 Alexander Street, RG1 5PE |
www.reading mencap.org.uk |
Kate Stonehouse | 0118 966 2518 | Non-statutory. Informal advocacy with information and advice on all aspects of living with learning disability or autism. | Individuals need to want to have our advocacy. We accept referrals by individuals themselves, social care and health care professionals, or others such as 3rd Sector organisations. |
| Reading Refugee Support Group |
Y | 35-39 London Street, RG1 4PS |
www.rrsg.org.uk | Matt Aymes | 0118 950 5356 | Non-statutory. Representing asylum seekers and refugees with the Home Office, Reading Council, DWP, etc. | Via Monday morning Drop-in or through booking an appointment. We accept referrals by individuals themselves, social care and health care professionals, or others. |
| The Mustard Tree |
N | 90 London Street, RG1 4SJ |
themustard tree.org |
Katherine Shepherd | 0118 956 7000 | Non-statutory. Helping people become aware of options, connecting with other services, liaising with health and social care. Support into rehabilitation and employment. Also accompanying people to appointments, and helping with form filling and communication - e.g. letters. | Referral through forms, our website or by direct contact. We accept referrals by individuals themselves, social care and health care professionals, or others such as voluntary sector organisations. |
| Total communication |
N | 131-133 Cardiff Road, RG1 8JF |
www.total commteam.com |
Sylvia Simmonds | 0118 327 1013 | Both Statutory and non-statutory advocacy. | By email only. We accept referrals by individuals themselves and by others. |
This list has been compiled, and is updated, from information provided by the organisations themselves.
* Membership of Reading Advice Network is available to any organisation providing Information and Advice to the public in Reading (Berkshire, UK) and surrounding area. Members agree to undertake the RAN Quality Standard, or similar, to ensure the quality of their information and advice-giving.
Organisations that are on this list that are not, or not yet, RAN Members are those who have told us they provide advocacy as shown.
RAN does not endorse any organisation on this list, including RAN Members, as to the quality and effectivess of their advocacy work. Please address any concerns in the first instance to the organisation.