Respect: All parties agree to treat others with respect. This includes listening to each other and allowing others to speak, while accepting that points of view will differ at times. 

Resolution-seeking: All parties agree to seek timely resolutions to issues and avoid escalation, or unnecessary delay, wherever possible. 

Focus: All parties agree to focus their efforts on the resident and the case at hand, and not to use individual advocacy to advance wider or unrelated disputes. 

Case confidentiality: All parties agree to keep information about a case confidential, in line with data protection regulations. 

Right to privacy: All parties agree to respect everyone's right to privacy. For example, details about staff members' lives should not be shared publicly, including via social media.  

Participation: An advocate is there to support, rather than replace the resident. Wherever possible the resident should lead and control conversations, being supported to do so. Conversations shouldn’t generally take place without the resident’s involvement. 

Encouraging and valuing the involvement of advocates to support people with finding the right solutions for their lives.  

Helping advocates who find themselves in complex or stressful situations to access support, should they need it.  

Ensuring that residents remain the core focus of conversations with advocates. 

Ensuring that residents without an advocate are adequately heard and not put at a disadvantage.  

Communicating in ways that are sensitive and comprehensible to residents and advocates. 

Keeping residents, advocates and staff safe, particularly where difficult decisions are being made about the most intimate parts of people’s lives: their families, their care and support, their homes. 

Considering whether a resident's capacity and ability to exercise their autonomy is sufficient for them to benefit from informal advocacy, or whether a specialist advocate would be appropriate or required. 

Ensuring the Council knows who their advocate is and providing written consent for Council staff to speak to them. 

Remaining in communication with the Council, for example to confirm understanding of case decisions or reconfirm consent. 

Understanding that advocates cannot achieve things that go beyond what is possible for residents without an advocate. Standard rules of eligibility and equality still apply. 

Considering whether an advocate is acting in their best interests. People with their own open case or ongoing dispute with the Council may not always be good candidates for acting as advocates for other residents, due to the complexities this brings. Residents can share any concerns with the Council.