Health & Social Care Moray (HSCM) has appointed VoiceAbility as its new independent advocacy service provider.
The voice and rights charity, which is one of the UK’s largest providers of advocacy and involvement services, launched the new free and confidential Moray service at the start of October.
โ
Trained advocates from VoiceAbility can help people to:
- understand information about their rights andย options;
- ask questions so they can make choices about what they want;
- have their voice heard;
- be fully involved in decisions about their health, social care andย wellbeing.
The service is open to adults accessing social care services including people who have a mental health condition or a learning disability, autistic people, people with dementia, people with physical and sensory disabilities and those involved in adult support and protection investigations. Support is also available to unpaid carers.
The change in advocacy provider from Circles Advocacy to VoiceAbility follows a commissioning and tender process. Officers from HSCM worked closely with both organisations to facilitate the transition.
All new referrals for independent advocacy should now be made to VoiceAbility. Referrals can come from an individual themselves, their friends and family, or someone working in health and social care.
Judith Proctor, Interim Chief Officer of HSCM, said: โAdvocacy is about empowering individuals to have a voice, and to ensure they are meaningfully involved and their wishes are fully considered when decisions are being made about their lives.
โItโs important people in Moray continue to have access to a high-quality advocacy support service, and we look forward to working with VoiceAbility as our new service provider. We would also like to thank Circles Advocacy for the support they have provided for the last seven years as the commissioned service.โ
Emily Johnston, VoiceAbilityโs Operations Manager for Scotland, said: โVoiceAbility is passionate about supporting people to be heard when it matters most. Weโre really pleased to be working with Health & Social Care Moray and support networks across the area to reach as many people who need our services as possible.
โIf you think you, or a friend or family member could benefit from support to be heard and understand your rights, you can call us for free on 0300 303 1660 or make a referral for support on our website.โ
The phone line is available Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm or you can email helpline@voiceability.org. More information, including a web chat function and referral form for professionals, can be found on the website page for Moray at https://www.voiceability.org/moray.โ
