A free service supporting Bradford people to be heard in decisions about their health, care and wellbeing is continuing under a new contract – which includes a community project for seldom heard groups.
Voice and rights charity VoiceAbility has been commissioned by Bradford Council and what is now the NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) since 2018 to provide a wide range of advocacy services for adults in the area, opening more than 8,000 cases in that time.
This includes providing independent support for people who have been detained under the Mental Health Act, for people deprived of their liberty in a care home or hospital, and for decisions about care and support.
People in Bradford who are using adult care services or mental health services can be supported under general advocacy too, when their needs do not fall under specific government legislation such as the Care Act.
VoiceAbility’s Bradford team also runs a community project, aimed at supporting people in three different communities across the city who may not be aware of or feel able to access the advocacy support available.
Advocates from these communities – South Asian women and domestic abuse, Eastern European and European, and LGBTQ+ – have been reflecting on the work that VoiceAbility has been doing and their plans for the future.
Advocate Shaheen Chowdhury said: “The aim is to reach out to groups and communities that are seldom heard – to raise awareness, improve engagement and access, to ensure that seldom heard groups have equal access to services and same quality of live as everyone else.
“Often groups and communities are classed as ‘hard to reach’, but the question is what we are doing to reach out to them?”
For the South Asian women and domestic abuse group, this includes drop-in sessions in the Keighley area, and working with community and charity groups.
Following a successful drop-in session for the Eastern European and European group at The Good Shepherd Centre, advocate Aneta Krzysztoporska is now hosting this on a monthly basis to “become more part of the local community and make it easier to access advocacy support”.
And advocate Michael Johnson has worked with other advocates to set up the first LGBTQ+ session in Bradford in conjunction with Yorkshire MESMAC, one of the oldest and largest sexual health organisations in the country, with plans for monthly drop-in sessions in the future.
Reflecting on the new contract, VoiceAbility’s Bradford Team Leader, Trevor Haughey, said: “The Bradford team are incredibly happy that we will continue to provide advocacy support to the people of Bradford.
“We’re really passionate about advocacy and ensuring that people are listened to, and this is no more evident than in the work we are doing in our community project.
“The team are working hard to build links with different communities in Bradford that need our support to have their voice heard. We’re also working closely with other professionals so that we can work together to get really positive outcomes for people.
“If you think you or a friend or family member would benefit from support to be heard in decisions about health or social care, you can call us for free on 0300 303 1660 or refer yourself for support on our website.”
Councillor Sarah Ferriby, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Healthy People and Places, said: “The new contract with VoiceAbility continues to be a much-needed service across the district, for people to be able to interact and influence everyday decisions from health, social care or mental health.
“I am also really pleased to hear that VoiceAbility will be reaching out to those seldom heard community groups who are often not able to voice their opinions, and we look forward to the difference this will make for those individuals.”
Sasha Bhat is the Deputy Director for Integration and Transformation for Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust and the Priority Director for Healthy Minds at Bradford District and Craven Health and Care Partnership, which has authority from the West Yorkshire ICB to make decisions about the use of NHS resources across Bradford District and Craven.
She said: “We are pleased to continue our work with VoiceAbility, this reinforces our commitment to empowering individuals in their care decisions.
“Delivering accessible, high-quality advocacy support, and empowering our local communities to navigate complex systems with confidence and dignity. We look forward to building on our existing work with VoiceAbility so that we continue to deliver impactful services that truly make a difference to our communities.”
For more information about the free advocacy services VoiceAbility provides in Bradford, visit voiceability.org/bradford.
Notes to editors
- VoiceAbility provides the following advocacy services across Bradford: Care Act advocacy, independent mental capacity advocacy (IMCA), independent mental health advocacy (IMHA), relevant person’s representative (RPR), Rule 1.2 representative and general advocacy
About VoiceAbility
VoiceAbility is a voice and rights charity and one of the largest providers of independent advocacy across the UK. VoiceAbility has supported people to have their voices heard and rights upheld for over 40 years.
Find out more about VoiceAbility and how we support people across the UK at voiceability.org.
What are advocacy services?
Advocacy is free, independent support to help people to be fully involved in decisions about their health, care and wellbeing. Watch our short ‘What is advocacy?’ video to find out more.
What is an advocate?
An advocate is an independent professional who is on the side of their client. They support people to know their rights and have their say to be heard.
Advocates don’t work for the council, the NHS, or care providers. They keep information confidential, and their services are free.
Contact
For further information please contact Nick Gill, Media and PR Lead:
nick.gill@voiceability.org or 07974 050 559
In his absence, please email comms@voiceability.org