Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance

What Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance does

The Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance (SIAA) is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (Charity No. SC033576) that operates as the national intermediary body for independent advocacy across Scotland. It does not deliver advocacy services itself; instead, it supports, promotes, and represents a membership network of independent advocacy organisations providing collective, citizen, and individual advocacy. SIAA's registered office is at The Melting Pot, 15 Calton Road, Edinburgh, although staff work remotely and the organisation runs a lean team of roughly three to five people supplemented by a Board of Trustees. Its work is shaped by formal engagement with the Scottish Government, NHS Boards, the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland, and member organisations, and it has contributed to advocacy-related amendments in legislation including the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018 and the co-design of the National Care Service.

SIAA's core product surface is a portfolio of member-facing digital resources and projects rather than a single software platform. These include the Members' Resource Hub, a weekly E-Bulletin, the quarterly 'About Advocacy' magazine, Peer Support Forums, an Independent Advocacy Outcomes Framework, an Advocacy Map dashboard and Case Studies Database, the Code of Best Practice for Independent Advocacy, Core Learning training, and project services such as the Welfare Advocacy Support Project (delivered with The ALLIANCE and Scottish Government) and the Self-directed Support (SDS) and Advocacy Project. The underlying technology stack is limited to standard productivity and communications tools (Microsoft 365, Zoom, Eventbrite, AirTable, MailChimp) with the website acting as the public information hub and a 'Find an Advocate' directory channelling individuals to member services. No proprietary platform or AI/ML capability is in evidence.

Revenue is generated primarily through recurring membership fees from advocacy organisations across Scotland, supplemented by grant funding from the Scottish Government and charitable trusts such as the National Lottery, Robertson Trust, and Henry Smith Charity. SIAA does not charge individuals for its information and referral services. Distribution is direct-to-member, with marketing conducted through the website, weekly e-bulletins, social media (Facebook, X/Twitter), the annual conference and AGMs, and the About Advocacy magazine. The go-to-market motion is community-led: SIAA grows influence by deepening ties with member organisations, public bodies, and Scottish Government rather than by commercial sales activity.

Name

Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance

Legal name

Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance

Website

https://siaa.org.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance (SIAA) is the national intermediary membership organisation that promotes, supports, and advocates for independent advocacy across Scotland, serving member advocacy organisations, individuals seeking advocacy, and the Scottish Government.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Advocacy Support Services

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Policy, Research & Advocacy Organizations (Nonprofit) (BPAGADAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Disability Rights & Accessibility Advocacy (BPAGAFAF)

Keywords

• Independent advocacy support
• Advocacy membership services
• Charitable intermediary services
• Advocacy training resources
• Policy representation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburgh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: SIAA operates with membership fees from independent advocacy organizations across Scotland. Member organizations receive information, support, training resources, and representation at national levels.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance (SIAA) is a national intermediary and umbrella body that supports member organizations delivering independent advocacy services across Scotland. It does not provide direct advocacy to individuals but strengthens its members through training, peer support, resources, publications, policy representation, standards-setting, and commissioned projects such as the Welfare Advocacy Support Project and the Self-directed Support and Advocacy Project.

Product overview

The Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance (SIAA) is a national intermediary organization that promotes, supports, and advocates for independent advocacy across Scotland. SIAA does not provide direct advocacy services; instead, it serves as a coordinating and supporting body for its member advocacy organizations. The organization offers a portfolio of digital resources and services including the Members' area with dashboards and resource libraries, the About Advocacy Magazine publication, advocacy mapping and research tools, an Outcomes Framework for measuring advocacy impact, peer support forums, core learning programs for members, and collaborative projects such as the Self-directed Support Project and Welfare Advocacy Support Project. These offerings work together to support, develop, and strengthen the independent advocacy movement throughout Scotland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SIAA Membership

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Disability Advocacy New South WalesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 January 2014International exchange partnership with Disability Advocacy New South Wales, Australia. SIAA staff met with Mark Grierson (CEO) and Sonia Powazuk (Senior Advocate) to exchange experiences of independent advocacy in different parts of the world.
• The ALLIANCEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSIAA partnered with The ALLIANCE and Scottish Government to deliver the Welfare Advocacy Support Project, targeting people going through PIP and ESA assessments in four pilot areas: Dundee, Falkirk, Glasgow, and Midlothian.
• Scottish GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership with Scottish Government on advocacy policy, including the Self-directed Support project, National Care Service co-design, and advocacy amendments to various legislation including the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018.
• Mental Welfare Commission for ScotlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegular engagement with the Mental Welfare Commission on advocacy policy, including participation in roundtable discussions and consultations on mental health law reform.
• Member advocacy organizationscoreOthersSIAA represents a network of independent advocacy organizations across Scotland as members. These include organizations providing collective advocacy, citizen advocacy, and individual advocacy services for various groups including people with learning disabilities, mental health issues, older people, and others.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Mencap: Large UK-wide learning disability charity with policy advocacy and service delivery functions that overlap with SIAA's remit, though operating at significantly greater scale and broader scope.

Direct peers

• Capability Scotland: Long-standing Scottish disability organization providing advocacy and direct services. Represents the type of frontline member organization that SIAA's membership network serves and represents.
• Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (The ALLIANCE): National Scottish third-sector intermediary for health and social care, and a confirmed strategic partner of SIAA on the Welfare Advocacy Support Project. Operates with a similar member-network-plus-policy-influence model targeting Scottish Government and NHS Boards.
• Inclusion Scotland: Scottish disability rights and advocacy organization with a directly comparable mission of amplifying the voice of disabled people. Engages with Scottish Government on policy and legislation affecting SIAA's core member organizations.
• VoiceAbility: UK-wide independent advocacy charity delivering advocacy services for vulnerable people. Directly comparable service model and beneficiary focus, though operating at UK rather than Scotland-only scale.
• National Youth Advocacy Service (NYAS): UK-wide advocacy organization providing independent advocacy for children, young people, and vulnerable adults. Operates in the same independent advocacy category as SIAA's members and produces comparable guidance, training, and policy resources.
• Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO): Scotland's national membership body for charities, voluntary organisations, and social enterprises. Closely mirrors SIAA's intermediary/membership model at a wider third-sector scope.
• Citizens Advice Scotland: Scottish membership-based advice and advocacy network, structurally similar to SIAA in operating as a national intermediary representing local member bureaux and engaging Scottish Government on social policy.

Emerging players

• Rethink Mental Illness: UK charity advocating for people affected by mental illness, intersecting with SIAA's policy work on mental health advocacy and the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland engagement.

Others

• British Institute of Human Rights: UK-wide independent human rights organization working to put human rights at the heart of public service delivery. Thematically aligned with SIAA's independent advocacy and human rights framing but operates as a training/advocacy resource rather than a membership intermediary.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sharer.php
• Xx.com/share
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/scottishindependentadvocacyalliance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance