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A MAP OF INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY ACROSS SCOTLAND

DUMFRIES AND GALLOWAY

NHS Dumfries and Galloway

There is one local authority within Dumfries and Galloway NHS Board area:

Dumfries and Galloway Council

Advocacy Planning Process

An Advocacy Forum and existing implementation structures should ensure the Dumfries and Galloway Independent Advocacy Plan is adequately implemented and reviewed, and should involve all interested parties. Representatives from education and housing from Dumfries and Galloway Council are also involved in this process.

A major review of the provision of advocacy is currently being undertaken by the NHS Board and the Council in view of the changes to the structure and remit of Health Councils; the need to ensure the independence of advocacy services; and the need to take into full account the provisions of the new Mental Health Act.

Pass Direct is currently involved in setting up an Advocacy Forum in the area which represents a coalition of voluntary agencies involved in advocacy issues.

Advocacy Organisations in Dumfries and Galloway

Project details

• Working towards independence
• Currently part of Dumfries & Galloway Health Council
• Professional and volunteer advocacy
• Generic: for all people using both NHS and Local Council services
• Dumfries and Galloway region have requested an ASA evaluation, date to be confirmed

Project details

• Independent
• Self Advocacy
• People with learning disabilities
• Dumfries and Galloway

* People First do not receive any statutory funding.

Project details

• Independent status yet to be confirmed
• Professional advocacy
• Children who are looked after by the Local Authority

• Dumfries and Galloway

Total Local Statutory Funding for Dumfries and Galloway Advocacy in 2003/4

Gaps in Independent Advocacy

• There is no independent citizen or collective advocacy provision
• Vulnerable children and young people who are not in care
• People from ethnic minority communities

Priorities for Development

• The further development of advocacy for people with a mental health disorder to meet the requirements of the Mental Health Care and Treatment (Scotland) Act 2003
• Further development of independent advocacy for people with learning disabilities, in line with the views of individuals who use learning disability services
• Supporting Pass Direct to become independent
• Education and awareness raising for general public and statutory service staff
• Advocacy projects need to consider how they ensure that their services are accessible to the ethnic community, to people who have a hearing impairment and to people from other marginalised groups.

Conclusions

Proposals to develop self-advocacy for people with learning disabilities in 2002 have not yet been taken forward. This was also acknowledged by the lead commissioner, who also indicated that this will be progressed, although it has not been highlighted as a priority issue by users of learning disability services.

An additional 20,000 in 2002/03 and 30,000 in 2003/04 from the Change Fund was to be allocated for this development. The information supplied for the purpose of this map does not indicate that this funding was allocated. People First continues not to receive any statutory funding in this region.

All funding partners need to ensure that three-year funding agreements are written into Service Level Agreements, albeit that funding is reviewed annually.

The statutory funders acknowledge that Pass Direct should now move towards independence, and have suggested that an evaluation of the project should happen to inform the change process. As cited earlier, a major review of the provision of advocacy is currently being undertaken by the NHS Board and the Council, all key stakeholders should be involved in this review process.

Pass Direct has indicated that the organisation is well placed to meet all the advocacy needs in the area through a generic service, however further funding is required to build on the capacity of the organisation. It would make good sense to build on the capacity of this generic project. Pass Direct alongside its management body the Health Council acknowledge that change is inevitable and therefore started a process to inform this change through a series of vision days.

There have been significant changes in Dumfries and Galloway:

• The proposed national changes for Local Health Councils has meant that in future, managing advocacy will not be part of their remit
• As from 1 ^st April 2003, Dumfries and Galloway health services have integrated into one structure - NHS Dumfries and Galloway
• The structure of Dumfries and Galloway Council has altered radically over the last 9 months
• Services in Dumfries and Galloway have over the last 3 years been developed in line with the Joint Future agenda
• A new Advocacy Forum has been developed by Pass Direct.

In light of these changes, and with due consideration to the priorities for development, this may be an opportunity for NHS Dumfries and Galloway to review its planning structure if necessary and the provision of independent advocacy in the region.

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