Consultation & Facilitation Service

Community care legislation and other public policy documentation highlight the importance of advocacy. Add A Voice has over the last ten years worked in an ever changing and complex environment. It has constantly had to adapt to meet the needs of a wide range of stakeholders such as service users, communities of people with advocacy needs and other service providers and purchasers within the statutory, voluntary and community sectors.

The following governmental and sub regional policies and programmes are particularly relevant in demonstrating a need for Add A Voice services:

1. Valuing People 2001 - This report says that a range of advocacy services together with a citizen advocacy group should be available in all Local Authority areas.
2. National Minimum Standards for Care Homes - five of the standards say that advocacy support to residents should be available.
3. The Health and Social Care Act 2001 - says that all people using NHS services have a right to access independent complaint advocacy services.
4. Reforming the Mental Health Act 2002 - proposes that specialist, professional and independent advocacy services should be available for people detained under the new Act.
5. The Adoption and Children’s Act 2002 - says that all Local Authorities have to make arrangements for children and young people in care to be provided with an advocate if they want to make a complaint.
6. The National Service Frameworks for Mental Health and Older People both have advocacy services as key elements .

Add A Voice can help organisations comply with these requirements by offering advocacy services within your organisation. We can act as an independent third party to organisations monitoring service user satisfaction by conducting surveys or facilitating service user forums or offer on site advocacy support to service users.

Examples of work Add A Voice is currently undertaking include:

Fourways

Fourways is an assessment and rehabilitation unit for people with acquired brain injury or degenerative brain disorders. Add A Voice was approached to provide advocacy support for people living in the residential unit. The sessions include a group discussion and individual interviews.

Alternative Futures

Alternative Futures have seven mental health homes across the North West. Add A Voice has been commissioned to facilitate monthly service user forums at the homes. Recently, Add A Voice were asked to conduct an additional service user satisfaction survey.

Brookfield

Brookfield is a rehabilitative mental health hostel. Add A Voice provides monthly advocacy surgeries on site and service user satisfaction surveys every three months.

Prices depend upon costs and work involved in a project.

If you would like further information about how Add A Voice can help your organisation or would like to discuss a project proposal, please contact Helen Thompson-Gleave, Advocacy Development Worker on 01942 601563 or Email: admin@addavoice.org.uk