Who we are
KAG is a not-for-profit charity that helps vulnerable people have a say in decisions that affect them and how they live their lives. We do this by providing independent advocacy support at no direct cost to individuals. Advocacy is provided by our specialist employed staff and trained volunteers.
Everything we do is governed by our core beliefs of social justice, self-determination and commitment to the individual. We listen to our clients, understand their needs, ensure they are aware of their rights and provide relevant information. We then support them in speaking up for themselves or, where this is not possible, we speak for them.
KAG Advocacy became a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) on the 1st January 2014 and has the registered charity number 1154696.
KAG has been awarded Quality Marks of QPM and Investor in People.
Management
CEO Sue Boakes:
Sue is a Law Graduate from Southbank University and began her involvement with KAG as a volunteer in 1995. In 1996 she became a member of staff and has been involved in all the different projects and service delivery of the organisation, much of which she started.
In 2003 she became the Deputy CEO and alongside this role she was responsible for the Performance Management of all the contracts.
Sue is a trained assessor and teacher and is able to deliver the National Advocacy Qualification as well as the Prince's Trust Qualification.
In 2020, upon the retirement of KAG’s founder, Helen Clarke, Sue became the second CEO of KAG Advocacy.
Chairman of the Board of Trustees: R F (Jim) Green:
After graduating in 1967 with an honours degree in Mechanical Engineering Jim joined what was then the fledgling computer industry. He worked for America`s largest computer manufacturer over the next 25 years in a variety of senior technical, sales and managerial roles. Subsequently he spent the next 15 years working in sales for several large computer software vendors.
When Jim retired in 2009 he volunteered at KAG Advocacy as an Appropriate Adult and a Citizen Advocate. He was elected as a Trustee in 2011 and was able to bring his considerable business experience to the Board and, since 2016, he has been chairman of the KAG Board of Trustees.
KAG’s founder and trustee Helen Clarke MBE:
Helen as a trained social worker founded the charity in 1988 to provide a voice and a choice for vulnerable people who were leaving the long stay institutions. Helen worked as the CEO for the charity from 1988 to 2020 and in 2011 was awarded an MBE for her work in the charity.
Other Trustees:
Arinola Ologunleko, John Hallett, Kathy Gardner-Brown, Elangco Balendra, Denholm Hesse, Vanya Sharma.
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Sophia
Started with us an intern from Kingston University and works as a paid rep as well as on the appropriate Adult and advocacy roles.
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Steph
Hi, my name is Stephanie. My role consists of being a befriender for people who live in care homes, helping to support them and be someone for them to talk to. I also provide client service advice. KAG is a great asset to the community of mental health with the common goal to help others. It is very fulfilling and is always great to see how our hard work can really help someone else.
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Andrew
I have been involved with the charity as a volunteer for a few years before I became a member of staff. Alongside marketing I work on the Money Buddy Project as well as with Ukrainian Refugees.
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Aidan
I am a Independent Visitor and have been with KAG since February. I work on the advocacy, mentoring , Money Buddy and Ukrainian Refugees Projects
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David
Has been working with KAG for over 20 years in different roles. He now works on the Horton, Royal Star and Garter projects, is a Personal Representative for the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards as well as the Appropriate Adult scheme.
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Sahira
I have been with the charity for 20 years and started as our admin assistant. I now works as a paid rep for people under Deprivation of Liberty Safeguard
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Sharon
I have been with the charity for over 5 years and work as a paid rep for people under Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards
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Suzann
I have been with the charity for over 5 years and work as a paid rep for people under Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards
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Namita
I have been with the charity for 20 years and work as a paid rep for people under Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards and as an Independent Visitor for people in care homes in Elmbridge
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Sue
CEO
Our History
Kingston Citizen Advocacy was set up by Helen Clarke as a direct response to the introduction of ‘Community Care’ in the 1980s. The aim of this legislation was for the NHS to care for people with mental health issues in the community rather than in large institutions as had been the practice up until then.
The ethos underpinning this approach was that these individuals would be given choices of where they lived etc.
However, for the majority of those living for many years in Long Grove Hospital, a long-stay institution, the prospect of moving into the community was terrifying. They felt disempowered and unable to put forward their own opinions about decisions being made.
Kingston Citizen Advocacy was set up to ‘support and empower people with mental health problems to have a say in decisions being made about them’ .
Founder of charity - Helen Clarke, MBE
Longrove Hospital and Horton Hospital were the first two institutions that were closed due to Community Care Legislation. Many people had been there for over 30 years and it had become their home. The catchment areas for these hospitals were London and Kingston and the plan was to move them back into these towns/ cities when they had been living in the countryside for the past 30 years and go back to a place where they did not know. KAG's role was to give the people a voice and a choice of where they moved to.
