AdvoCard
AdvoCard is an Edinburgh-based Scottish charity (founded 1994) providing free independent advocacy to adults on mental health, problematic substance use, prison, and welfare reform issues, delivered by ~19 staff and ~60 trained volunteers using a Human Rights Based Approach.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersEdinburgh, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What AdvoCard does
AdvoCard is an independent advocacy charity registered in Scotland (SC016657), founded in 1994 and headquartered in Edinburgh. It delivers free, confidential advocacy services to adults in Edinburgh across four core domains: mental health, problematic substance use, prison-related issues, and welfare reform. The organisation operates a Human Rights Based Approach, supported by approximately 19 paid staff and around 60 trained volunteer advocacy workers, many of whom have lived experience of the issues they support. Service delivery occurs across three physical locations (Royal Edinburgh Hospital site, a Leith office, and a Ferry Road location), supplemented by outreach drop-ins at partner venues including WHALE Arts, Bethany Christian Trust, and the Health Agency.
The service portfolio comprises individual advocacy (one-to-one casework), collective advocacy (Edinburgh Community Voices), and targeted projects including S.TR.O.N.G and the A&E All & Equal Emergency Card delivered in partnership with the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. There is no proprietary technology platform; service delivery is human-led and process-driven. The business model is a non-profit grant-funded model with no commercial pricing: revenue is sourced from statutory bodies including the City of Edinburgh Council, NHS Lothian, the Edinburgh Alcohol and Drug Partnership, and the Scottish Government. Services are provided free of charge to end users.
AdvoCard's competitive position rests on three decades of accumulated trust, statutory commissioning relationships, and an embedded volunteer workforce. Recognition includes the 2022 Inspiring Volunteering Award from Volunteer Edinburgh and the 2024 Equally Safe at Work Development Accreditation. Leadership is anchored by CEO Arlene Astley and a Board of Trustees that is currently being refreshed. Geographically the organisation is entirely concentrated in Edinburgh with no evidence of expansion to other Scottish local authorities.
AdvoCard firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- AdvoCard
- Legal name
- AdvoCard
- Website
- https://advocard.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- AdvoCard is an Edinburgh-based Scottish charity (founded 1994) providing free independent advocacy to adults on mental health, problematic substance use, prison, and welfare reform issues, delivered by ~19 staff and ~60 trained volunteers using a Human Rights Based Approach.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
AdvoCard industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Social Advocacy Services
- NAICS
- Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Assistance (624)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM)
Keywords
Where AdvoCard is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Edinburgh
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
AdvoCard business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Charitable/Funder Revenue: AdvoCard operates as a Scottish charity providing free independent advocacy services. Revenue appears to come from grants and funding arrangements with public bodies including Edinburgh Alcohol and Drug Partnership, City of Edinburgh Council (for statutory advocacy services), and Scottish Government funding for specific projects.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
AdvoCard product offering
Product offeringCore offering
AdvoCard is a Scottish charity that provides free independent advocacy services to people in Edinburgh who have mental health conditions, problematic substance use, are affected by the prison system, or impacted by welfare reform. Services include one-to-one individual advocacy, collective advocacy through Edinburgh Community Voices, and community outreach drop-ins across Edinburgh, all delivered using a Human Rights Based Approach aligned with PANEL principles.
Product overview
AdvoCard is an Edinburgh-based independent advocacy charity that provides a comprehensive suite of advocacy services to help vulnerable individuals speak up, make informed choices, and stay in control of decisions affecting their lives. The organization operates using a Human Rights Based Approach and offers five core individual advocacy services: Mental Health Advocacy, Problematic Substance Use (PSU) Advocacy, Prison Advocacy, Welfare Reform Advocacy, and an Outreach Service with community drop-ins. Additionally, AdvoCard runs collective advocacy programs through Edinburgh Community Voices, specialized projects including Stigma Stories, the S.TR.O.N.G addiction rights project, and the A&E All & Equal emergency card initiative. All services are designed to empower individuals by ensuring their voices are heard within health, social care, and welfare systems.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Edinburgh Community Voices: A collective advocacy group for people in Edinburgh who have lived experience of mental health issues, supported by AdvoCard.
- STRONG
- A&E All & Equal
Products and services
- Mental Health Advocacy Independent one-to-one advocacy support for individuals in Edinburgh with mental health conditions, helping them understand and exercise their rights within mental health services, including for those detained under the Mental Health Act or attending psychiatric appointments.
- Problematic Substance Use (PSU) Advocacy Advocacy support for people in Edinburgh who identify as having problematic substance use issues, helping them access treatment and recovery services, understand their rights, and address stigma and barriers in addiction services.
- Prison Advocacy Advocacy services for individuals within or affected by the prison system who require support with mental health, substance use, or reintegration issues.
- Welfare Reform Advocacy Advocacy support to help individuals in Edinburgh navigate welfare changes, understand their entitlements, and access benefits and support services.
- Outreach Service Community-based drop-in services and outreach support reaching people in their local communities across Edinburgh, with weekly and fortnightly sessions at venues including WHALE Arts, Bethany Christian Trust, Bridgend Farmhouse, North Edinburgh Arts Centre, and community libraries.
- Collective Advocacy (Edinburgh Community Voices) Group-based advocacy programme enabling people in Edinburgh with lived experience of mental health issues to collectively raise concerns, influence policy, and drive systemic change in mental health services.
- S.TR.O.N.G Project Advocacy project specifically designed to help people with addiction understand their rights when accessing treatment and recovery services, including support with creating personal statements to communicate needs to services.
- Stigma Stories A storytelling project that collects and shares experiences of people with lived experience of problematic substance use who have faced stigma and discrimination, raising awareness of the impact of stigma on recovery.
- A&E All & Equal Project Peer research project that developed the Emergency Card, a practical tool to help people in distress communicate their needs to Emergency Department staff at Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and St John's Hospital Livingston.
Quantifiable outcome
- People feel more confident and able to represent themselves after advocacy support
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use AdvoCard
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
AdvoCard technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AdvoCard partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Edinburgh Alcohol and Drug PartnershipcoreFunding partner providing grants to support advocacy services for people with problematic substance use. Through this funding, AdvoCard was able to establish services for people who had difficulty engaging with services.
- City of Edinburgh Council Social WorkcoreCommissioning partner for statutory advocacy services. AdvoCard receives referrals and funding for advocacy services commissioned by the Council for social work clients.
- Close the GapcorePartner in Equally Safe at Work initiative for gender equality at work. AdvoCard received development accreditation through participation in this program.
- Volunteer EdinburghcoreVolunteer recruitment partnership used to advertise volunteer opportunities and reach potential volunteers. Multiple volunteers discovered AdvoCard through Volunteer Edinburgh's platform.
- Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh (Emergency Department)coreCollaborative partner in A&E All & Equal project. Worked together with people with lived experience and Emergency Department staff to develop the Emergency Card for people in distress.
- Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance (SIAA)coreMembership organization providing standards and principles for independent advocacy. AdvoCard adheres to SIAA principles in their advocacy work.
- Mental Welfare Commission for ScotlandminorAdvoCard promotes and distributes Mental Welfare Commission's Rights in Mind guide to help people understand their rights in mental health services.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
AdvoCard competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks3 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
AdvoCard social profiles
Digital presenceAdvoCard financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
AdvoCard leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
AdvoCard funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
AdvoCard M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about AdvoCard
What does AdvoCard do?
AdvoCard is a Scottish charity that provides free independent advocacy services to people in Edinburgh who have mental health conditions, problematic substance use, are affected by the prison system, or impacted by welfare reform. Services include one-to-one individual advocacy, collective advocacy through Edinburgh Community Voices, and community outreach drop-ins across Edinburgh, all delivered using a Human Rights Based Approach aligned with PANEL principles.
Is AdvoCard a public or private company?
AdvoCard is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was AdvoCard founded?
AdvoCard was founded in 1994. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is AdvoCard based?
AdvoCard is headquartered in Edinburgh, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does AdvoCard make money?
One revenue line is on record: charitable/Funder Revenue.
Does AdvoCard have an API?
No public API is recorded for AdvoCard.
What industry is AdvoCard in?
AdvoCard's product category is Social Advocacy Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAEAM, Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services. Its NAICS code is 6241 and its SIC code is 8300.