What does good advocacy look like to the people we support?
Our Co-Production Worker and Advocacy teams work together to find creative ways for people supported by an advocate to share their views and help shape how we deliver our services.
People we support can sometimes find communication difficult but for us that is never a barrier. We take the time to understand each individual and find the tools and approaches that work best for them.
We’re currently working with the Westbridge mental health resettlement service in North Tyneside and as part of a co-production project we’ve met with residents who have experience of mental health inpatient units, private hospitals and prison across North Tyneside and Newcastle.
This is a group that is often trauma-experienced but is often overlooked and for us that makes it even more important to understand their experiences of services and what matters to them.
Together, we’ve explored their goals, the role advocacy has played in their lives and how they first found out about advocacy.
Some of what they told us:
💬 “Having someone on your side is nice.”
💬 “I need information and to understand processes.”
💬 “Yes, they listened.”
💬 “One-to-one is important.”
And when we asked what they want from an advocate, the message was clear:
Be authentic. Be fair. Be knowledgeable. Be honest. Be caring. Don’t judge. Listen.
One comment particularly stood out:
“Remember people can change and deserve a second chance. Don’t judge a person by their notes or what you hear about their history. That is not who they are.”
This is why co-production matters. People with lived experience are the experts in their own lives and listening to what they tell us helps us continually improve the advocacy we provide.
For more information about our advocacy services, visit www.yvc.org.uk/advocacy.
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