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A MAP OF INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY ACROSS SCOTLAND

BORDERS ADVOCACY

NHS BORDERS

There is one local authority within Borders NHS Board area:

Scottish Borders Council

Advocacy Planning Process

The Borders advocacy planning and implementation group comprises stakeholders from the health board, the local authority, and representatives of the Borders Advocacy Forum. This group sits under the banner of the Joint Commissioning Team for Community Care, which in turn is linked into the Joint Executive of the Health and Care Partnership Board.

The advocacy planning and implementation group has a clear remit and is currently seeking representation from education, children services and housing.

Advocacy Organisations in Borders Region

Project details

• Independent
• Professional and Volunteer Advocacy
• Generic; anyone receiving community care and NHS services, and their carers
• Borders Region
• Evaluated in April 2003 by ASA

*Reviewed annually

Project details

• Independent
• Under the umbrella of BIAS
• Citizen advocacy
• Generic: includes people with a mental health disorder; people with a learning disability; older people who are frail and people who have a speech impairment or who cannot talk
• Borders Region

Project details

• Independent
• Affiliated to People First Scotland
• Self advocacy
• People with learning disabilities
• Borders Region

*Reviewed annually

Total Local Statutory Funding for Borders Advocacy in 2003/4

Gaps in Independent Advocacy

• People with a mental health disorder
• Vulnerable children and young people
• Homeless people and people affected by addictions
• People from ethnic minority communities
• People with physical disabilities
• Need to expand the Citizen Advocacy Project

Priorities for Development

• The development of advocacy for people with a mental health disorder to meet the requirements of the Mental Health Care and Treatment (Scotland) Act 2003
• Advocacy for vulnerable children and young people
• Development of generic advocacy on an equitable / geographical basis
• Development of a strategy to improve accessibility to advocacy by 'hidden groups'
• Raising awareness and understanding of the role and value of advocacy amongst service providers

Conclusions

The Borders advocacy planning and implementation group is committed to the development of independent advocacy. It is currently investigating the development of independent advocacy provision for people with a mental health disorder, and for vulnerable children and young people; this is being done through the appropriate strategic development groups. Funding was also secured to enable BIAS to be evaluated.

A new training program has been developed by the Borders Advocacy Forum and Joint Community Care Forum and will be implemented in the Autumn. This advocacy awareness programme will be aimed at service providers and the general public.

There still remains a need to develop both the generic and specialist advocacy provision. It was intended that this would be achieved through the establishment of an umbrella independent advocacy organisation (development of Borders Independent Advocacy Service). The capacity of this organisation needs to be developed further to enable this possibility, and the organisation needs to relocate, if it is to expand and deliver a Borders-wide service.

There is also limited collective advocacy in the Borders.

Although committed to the development of Independent Advocacy, NHS Borders needs to consider increasing its spend in this area. Finally, all statutory funding partners need to ensure that three-year funding agreements are written into Service Level Agreements, albeit that funding is reviewed annually.

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