New research by Action for Advocacy suggests that up to 66,000 people could be affected by cuts to independent advocacy services.

The organisation says that cuts to advocacy could result in abuse in care settings like Winterbourne View to go unchallenged and will certainly lead to greater disempowerment in health and social care, contrary to the aims of the Health & Social Care Bill.

74 per cent of non statutory advocates who responded to the Advocacy in a Cold Climate survey stated that funding is insufficient to cover their workload and rising demand. 63 per cent of advocacy services say that they will be able to help fewer people in future.

Download Advocacy for Action’s report.