Advocacy Focus
Advocacy Focus is an independent UK charity, founded in 1998 and headquartered in Accrington, providing free statutory and non-statutory advocacy services across the North West of England for vulnerable adults, children, and carers navigating health and social care decisions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersAccrington, United Kingdom
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Advocacy Focus does
Advocacy Focus is an independent UK charity and company limited by guarantee (Charity number 1086151), founded in 1998 and headquartered in Accrington, Lancashire. The organisation delivers free, independent, and confidential statutory and non-statutory advocacy services across the North West of England, primarily for vulnerable adults and children who struggle to have their voice heard in health and social care decisions. Core service lines include Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA), Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy (IMCA), Care Act advocacy, Children's Advocacy, Community Advocacy, NHS complaints advocacy, and a Children's Rights Helpline. The organisation also delivers the Lancashire Advocacy Hub (a Single Point of Contact) and runs co-produced tools such as the Self Advocacy Toolkit and Justice for LB Toolkit.
The technology stack is modest and operational rather than productised: digital referral forms hosted on Meritec Digital for IMCA, IMHA, Care Act, Children's, and Community Advocacy referrals; online self-referral portals; a WordPress website; the FocusAF Podcast distributed on Spotify and Apple Podcasts; email marketing via MailChimp; donation processing via JustGiving; and PCI-compliant payments via TakePayments. The head office is at Saturn House, Altham Business Park, Accrington, with additional offices in Lancaster and Blackpool, and a 60-mile service radius covering Lancashire, Trafford, Salford, and St Helens.
The business model is a hybrid of public-sector commissioning and charitable fundraising. Revenue is generated primarily through commissioned contracts with Local Authorities and NHS bodies for statutory advocacy services, supplemented by spot purchase services for Local Authorities outside contracted areas, bespoke training for healthcare and social work professionals, and voluntary income through donations and corporate fundraising (including JustGiving, the Community Focus Hub, and corporate partnerships such as CUBE HR). All core advocacy services are provided free of charge to end users. The organisation employs 51-100 staff, including 30+ Independent Advocates qualified to IAQ Level 3, supported by a managerial and operations layer. Leadership is headed by CEO Justine Forster (since 2014) with a Board of Trustees and a senior team of Services, Operations, and Community Engagement managers.
Advocacy Focus firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Advocacy Focus
- Legal name
- Advocacy Focus
- Website
- https://advocacyfocus.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Advocacy Focus is an independent UK charity, founded in 1998 and headquartered in Accrington, providing free statutory and non-statutory advocacy services across the North West of England for vulnerable adults, children, and carers navigating health and social care decisions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Advocacy Focus industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Independent Advocacy Services
- NAICS
- Individual and Family Services (6241), Child and Youth Services (62411), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Human Rights Organizations (813311)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD), Disability Rights & Accessibility Advocacy (BPAGAFAF), Child Welfare, Foster Care & Adoption Services (BPAGAEAE)
Keywords
Where Advocacy Focus is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Accrington
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
Advocacy Focus business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Donations and Fundraising: Charitable donations from members of the public and local businesses collected via JustGiving platform. Corporate partnerships and fundraising events including marathon participation and corporate challenge events.
- Government and Local Authority Contracts: Commissioned advocacy services from Local Authorities and NHS bodies across Lancashire, Trafford, Salford, and St Helens for statutory advocacy services
- Spot Purchase Services: Bespoke Independent Advocacy Services provided on spot purchase basis to Local Authorities outside contracted areas, with specialist advocates trained to same standards as contracted staff
- Training Services: Bespoke advocacy training provided to social workers, healthcare workers, GPs and other professionals on legal duty to refer, eligibility criteria, record keeping, and advocacy support
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free Independent Advocacy Services |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels8 records
Advocacy Focus product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Advocacy Focus delivers free, independent and confidential advocacy services across North West England, including Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA), Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy (IMCA), Care Act advocacy, Children's Advocacy, and Community Advocacy. The charity helps vulnerable adults and children have their voice heard in decisions about their health and social care, and operates statutory contracts with Local Authorities and NHS bodies in Lancashire, Trafford, Salford and St Helens, supplemented by spot purchase and training services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA)
- Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy (IMCA)
- Care Act Advocacy
- Children's Advocacy Services
- Community Advocacy
- Spot Purchase Advocacy
- Advocacy Training Services
- Lancashire Advocacy Hub (Single Point of Contact)
- Children's Rights Helpline
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 7,000 vulnerable people helped annually
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Advocacy Focus
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Advocacy Focus technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature6 records
Advocacy Focus partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
23 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Thera NorthcorePartnership working to provide comprehensive and well-rounded advocacy services in the North West region
- Healthwatch Blackburn with DarwencorePartnership to ensure comprehensive advocacy services and community support across Blackburn with Darwen area
- Age UKcorePartnership providing advocacy support for older people in Lancashire through coordinated service delivery
- University of ManchesterminorAcademic partnership for research, training and development in advocacy sector
- Stroke AssociationcorePartnership to provide advocacy support for stroke survivors and their families
- Blackburn with Darwen Carers ServicecorePartnership supporting carers across Blackburn with Darwen with advocacy services
- Lancaster District CVSminorPartnership with CVS organization for community-based advocacy services in Lancaster district
- Care NetworkcorePartnership to provide comprehensive community-based advocacy and support services
- Carers FederationcorePartnership supporting carers through advocacy services across service delivery areas
- Mind LancashirecorePartnership providing mental health advocacy support across Lancashire
- Alzheimer's Society East LancscorePartnership to support people with dementia and their families through advocacy services
- Parkinsons UKcorePartnership providing advocacy support for people affected by Parkinson's disease
- Appetite for WellbeingminorPartnership supporting health and wellbeing initiatives in the community
- Lancashire Women's CentrecorePartnership supporting women across Lancashire with advocacy services
- Child Action North WestcorePartnership providing advocacy and support services for children and families in North West
- NewgroundminorPartnership for community-based advocacy and environmental initiatives
- Alzheimer's SocietycoreNational partnership providing advocacy support for people with dementia nationwide
- Carers LinkcorePartnership supporting carers in Lancashire through advocacy services
- Action for ASDcorePartnership providing advocacy support specifically for people with autism spectrum disorder
- Veterans in CommunitiescorePartnership supporting veterans' health and wellbeing through advocacy services
- White Ribbon UKminorPartnership campaign to end male violence against women and girls
- Hub of HopecoreAmbassador of Hope partnership working with Hub of Hope and founder Jake Mills to connect mental health services in Lancashire. Hub of Hope is a mental health signposting tool.
- CUBE HRminorCorporate partner that completed Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge raising over £2,100 for Advocacy Focus
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Advocacy Focus competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- POhWER: National independent advocacy charity providing IMHA, IMCA, Care Act advocacy, and NHS complaints services across multiple regions. Closest direct peer given overlapping service portfolio and similar contract model.
- The Advocacy People: Independent advocacy charity offering statutory and independent advocacy across England including Care Act, IMHA, IMCA, and complaints. Directly competes for the same local authority and NHS contracts.
- VoiceAbility: One of the UK's largest independent advocacy charities, delivering IMHA, IMCA, Care Act, and NHS complaints advocacy across many regions. Directly comparable as a statutory advocacy provider with similar service mix and contract-based commissioning model.
- Carers Federation: Not-for-profit providing advocacy, information, and support to carers across the UK. Comparable to Advocacy Focus's carer advocacy and partnership-based service delivery model.
Broad incumbents
- Age UK: National charity for older people providing information, advice, and advocacy services. Overlaps with Advocacy Focus's work on Care Act advocacy, dementia advocacy, and older-adult services, though at much larger national scale.
- Alzheimer's Society: UK charity supporting people with dementia and their families, including advocacy services. Comparable through partnership with Advocacy Focus and shared focus on dementia-related advocacy work.
- Mind: UK-wide mental health charity providing information, support, and advocacy for people with mental health problems. Overlaps with Advocacy Focus's IMHA and mental health advocacy work, but Mind is a much broader organization with wider mental health service scope.
- Rethink Mental Illness: National charity supporting people affected by mental illness, including advocacy services. Comparable in mental health advocacy mission but operates at national scale with broader service portfolio.
Regional players
- NCompass (NWAN): North West-focused charity providing advocacy, carer support, and social care services. Regional peer with overlapping North West geography and similar advocacy/carer support mission.
- Total Advocacy: Independent advocacy charity providing statutory and independent advocacy services. Comparable service offering though operating in different geographic regions.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Advocacy Focus social profiles
Digital presenceAdvocacy Focus financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Advocacy Focus leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles16 records
Advocacy Focus funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Advocacy Focus 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 Advocacy Focus
What does Advocacy Focus do?
Advocacy Focus delivers free, independent and confidential advocacy services across North West England, including Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA), Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy (IMCA), Care Act advocacy, Children's Advocacy, and Community Advocacy. The charity helps vulnerable adults and children have their voice heard in decisions about their health and social care, and operates statutory contracts with Local Authorities and NHS bodies in Lancashire, Trafford, Salford and St Helens, supplemented by spot purchase and training services.
Is Advocacy Focus a public or private company?
Advocacy Focus is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Advocacy Focus founded?
Advocacy Focus was founded in 1998. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Advocacy Focus based?
Advocacy Focus is headquartered in Accrington, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Advocacy Focus make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Donations and Fundraising is the primary driver. The others are government and Local Authority Contracts, spot Purchase Services and training Services.
Who are Advocacy Focus's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are POhWER, The Advocacy People, VoiceAbility and Carers Federation. Broad incumbents are Age UK, Alzheimer's Society, Mind and Rethink Mental Illness. Regional players are NCompass (NWAN) and Total Advocacy.
Does Advocacy Focus have an API?
No public API is recorded for Advocacy Focus.
What industry is Advocacy Focus in?
Advocacy Focus's product category is Independent Advocacy Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAEAM, Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services, with a secondary code of BPAGACAD, Mental Health & Crisis Support Services. Its NAICS code is 6241 and its SIC code is 8300.