Practical ways to advocate
How to speak up for yourself or someone else during mental health crisis, assessment, hospital, custody, or court.
When things feel overwhelming, important information can get missed.
You may be frightened, exhausted, ashamed, confused, or unable to explain clearly. Or you may be supporting someone who is too distressed or unwell to speak up for themselves.
This page gives you simple ways to explain risk, ask questions, keep records, and leave appointments with clear next steps.
On this page
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What to do if you or someone else is unsafe right now.
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A simple explanation of what advocacy is and is not.
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Signs that important concerns may not be fully understood.
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Words to use if safety, suicide risk, discharge, custody, or follow-up feels unsafe.
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How to explain what is happening in a way services can understand.
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Useful questions for assessments, appointments, hospital, custody, or court.
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What to check before leaving an assessment, appointment, court, custody, or hospital.
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How to ask for review, urgent help, or higher-level support.
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What to write down so information does not get lost.
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If there is immediate danger
If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 999.
If you need urgent mental health support but it is not immediately life-threatening, call NHS 24 on 111 and ask for mental health support.
Advocacy means helping important information be heard and acted on.
It can mean speaking up for yourself, asking someone you trust to help, or supporting someone else when they are too distressed or unwell to explain clearly.
What advocacy means here
Advocacy is not about
Being confrontational
Knowing every law or policy
Using perfect language
Winning an argument
Advocacy is about
Explaining risk clearly
Asking practical questions
Getting next steps in writing
Keeping important information from being missed
When you may need to speak up more clearly
Sometimes risk is missed because services only see a short snapshot.
Someone may appear calm in an appointment but be much worse before or after it.
Calm presentation does not automatically mean low risk, and risk should consider history, behaviour, support, environment, and whether someone can realistically stay safe after leaving.
Speak up more clearly if
Risk is being minimised
Someone is saying they are fine, but things feel unsafe.
The plan is unclear
No one can explain what happens next or who is responsible.
Important context is missing
Services do not know about recent crisis, self-harm, psychosis, medication, housing, custody, or court issues.
You are being passed around
Different services are giving different answers and no one seems to be coordinating support.
Make risk clear
If something feels unsafe, use clear words.
You do not need to sound professional. You need to be specific.
Use direct risk language
I do not feel safe.
I am worried about suicide or self-harm risk.
I do not think discharge is safe today.
I do not think it is safe for me/them to be alone tonight.
You can use these statements to make the risk clearer:
“I need this documented clearly: I do not believe it is safe for me to leave without support.”
“I do not believe this person is safe to leave alone tonight.”
“Can you explain how this risk has been assessed?”
“Can you explain what support is in place that makes this safe today?”
Use specific examples
Specific examples are harder to overlook than general statements.
Try to describe what changed, when it changed, and why you are worried.
More helpful
“I have not slept properly for five days, I feel unsafe being alone, and I am scared I might hurt myself.”
“They have not slept for five days, stopped answering calls, become paranoid about neighbours watching them, and said they do not feel safe being alone.”
Less Helpful
“I’m struggling.”
“They’re not themselves.”
Short structure to use
What changed?
When did it start?
What risk are you worried about?
What support is missing?
Questions to ask
You do not need to ask every question. Choose the ones that fit the situation.
Start with these three
What happens next?
Who is responsible for follow-up?
What should happen if things get worse?
About risk
Has suicide or self-harm risk been considered?
What would make this situation more urgent?
What should I do if risk increases?
About decisions
Why is this considered safe?
What information was used to make this decision?
Can this be explained in writing?
About follow-up
When should contact happen?
Who should I contact if nobody gets in touch?
Has the GP or relevant service been updated?
About support
Who is involved now?
Is crisis support available?
Can family or someone trusted be included where appropriate?
Do not leave without clarity
Before leaving an assessment, hospital, custody setting, court, or appointment, try to understand the next step.
Ask before you leave
What happens next?
Who is responsible?
When will contact happen?
What do I do if things get worse?
Can I have this in writing?
Try to check:
Is there a safety plan?
Has follow-up been agreed?
Have medication changes been explained?
Has housing or safety been considered?
Has the GP or relevant service been informed?
If you still feel unsafe, or you believe risk is being missed, it is okay to ask again.
You are not being difficult by asking for safety concerns to be reviewed.
Escalate if things feel unsafe
Escalation ladder
Say the concern clearly
“I do not feel this is safe.”
Ask for the reason
“Can you explain how this decision was made?”
Ask for review
“Can this be reviewed by a senior clinician or manager?”
Seek urgent help again
Call 111, go to A&E, or call 999 if there is immediate danger.
Use formal routes if needed
Ask about advocacy, complaints, legal advice, or the Mental Welfare Commission where relevant.
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You can say
“I would like this reviewed by a senior clinician.”
“Who is taking lead responsibility for follow-up and safety planning?”
“I do not feel the wider situation has been fully understood yet.”
Keep a simple record
When things are chaotic, details get forgotten.
Keeping notes can help you explain what has happened, avoid repeating yourself, and show what concerns were raised.
Write down
Date and time
Who you spoke to
What concern was raised
What they said
What action was agreed
What still feels unsafe
What matters most right now
You do not need perfect words.
Say clearly what feels unsafe.
Ask who is responsible for the next step.
Keep a record of what was said.
Advocacy is not about being confrontational. It is about making sure important information does not get lost.