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Young Peoples'
Advocacy, Edinburgh
C/O Royal Edinburgh Hospital
Morningside Place
Edinburgh
EH10 5HF
Tel No: 0131 537 6004
Fax: 0131 537 6004
Email:
ivan.barry@circlesnetwork.org.uk
The Circles Advocacy Project was extended in November 2005 to
provide a service at the Young Peoples’ Unit and associated services.
Current provision
Drop-in sessions are held every week, covering the Day Programme, In-patients
Unit and the Early Psychosis Support Service.
Our remit extends to cover Willowgrove House in Livingston and Fort Teviot Day
Unit in Edinburgh where we also run regular drop-in sessions. We are currently
in discussion with the Secure Services Units at St Katherine’s and Howden Hall
with a view to extending our outreach service to cover these areas.
Future developments
We anticipate further development of the service for young people and will
actively pursue with the overseeing Working Group, extending to cover Young
Peoples Centres in Edinburgh and throughout the Lothians.
Our approach
In keeping with the philosophy of Circles Network, we work from a person-centred
perspective and are bound by a set of principles aimed at empowering individuals
to express their own views and wishes.
Expressed interest
Whilst medical teams generally work from a perspective of “best interest” of the
individual, it is an advocate’s duty to work from the person’s “expressed
interest”.
The Young Peoples’ Advocates
The young peoples’ advocacy project is a direct result of the new Mental Health
(Care and Treatment) Act (Scotland)(2003) which came into effect in October
2005. The Act aims to give individuals more rights in relation to their care and
treatment both within hospital and in the community. In order to ensure that the
needs and wishes of individuals using mental health services are heard, listened
to, recorded and where possible acted upon, it includes the legal provision for
anyone using mental health services to access an independent advocate.
In respect of young people, other relevant legislation exists. For example, the
Children (Scotland) Act 1995 underlines the concept that children and young
people can legitimately receive and access information about themselves and be
involved in decision-making. Children’s issues are a key priority for the
Scottish Parliament and Scottish Executive.
Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child which was ratified by
the UK in 1991, declares “participation” as a substantive right of all children
and young people.
The Advocacy support offered to young people can take many forms but can
include:
Formally representing someone’s views at a range of meetings
Speaking on behalf of a young person when asked to do so and facilitating the
empowerment of the person to speak for his/her self in expressing their own
views
Supporting people who may not have previously given input into decisions
affecting their care and treatment through facilitating appropriate methods of
communication
Providing information on rights, practical issues and a range of community
resources available
Negotiating on behalf of a young person so that they feel they have been
listened to
We can assist people in meetings, reviews and Tribunals, taking the focus and
pressure off the individual in order that the focus person can feel more
comfortable and can collect their thoughts to facilitate answering any further
questioning. We can help the individual explore their views and options and
direct their opinions to the relevant people concerned in their care and
treatment. We can also help construct letters prior to meetings in order that
the focus person’s opinions are known and can be carefully considered prior to
any meetings. Additionally we can help negotiate changes in the approach made by
organisations and schools so that they can better accommodate the needs of
individuals who are not currently accommodated within a main stream curriculum.
Advocate - Ivan Barry
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I have spent 10 years working
in mental health services, from drop in volunteering to support work in
the community and residential settings. I have worked in private and
state run services. I have been active in campaigning for improved
services and have been involved in setting up and running new programmes in
the UK, Ireland and in the USA, working with statutory partners as well as
‘user’ or ‘client’ groups in an effort to ensure that voices are heard and
that services reflect that voice wherever possible. I have spoken at conferences and hosted workshops on a number of related
mental health and social issues in the UK, Ireland and the USA.
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I have assisted in the setting up of several groups for
those who hear voices and have partnered up with clinical psychology teams
and support professionals to provide training to those who wish to work with
voice hearers more proactively. |
Circles Network Scotland
Scottish Charity number: SC038068
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