This autumn South West Advocacy Network, (SWAN) is providing free self-advocacy training sessions.
The Be Heard programme is designed to help people stand up for their rights and resolve issues that they are facing by teaching them how to advocate for themselves.
Self-advocacy means standing up for your own rights and ensuring that your voice is heard. Many people find this difficult, especially when dealing with various professionals, such as NHS or council workers and SWAN wants to ensure that more people feel confident when explaining their needs.
Advocates from SWAN will be running three Be Heard sessions on the following dates:
- 30th September – 13:30-16:00.
- 28th October – 13:30-16:00.
- 25th November – 13:300-16:00.
The session will be held in the Carisbrooke room at the Riverside Centre on The Quay in Newport. Each session will last approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes and will include the following:
- Self-Advocacy Toolkits
- Group self-advocacy training with your peers – an interactive course
- One-to-one self-advocacy training and coaching
Advocates will also be present to discuss how to approach any issues attendees are facing and to support them when advocating by themselves. The sessions and resources provided are completely free of charge.
SWAN is commissioned by the Isle of Wight Council to provide several independent services on the Isle of Wight including Health Complaints Advocacy, Care Act Advocacy, Mental Health Advocacy and Mental Capacity Advocacy.
If you would like to know more about the service the Isle of Wight team provide, visit: https://swanadvocacy.org.uk/iow/
If you are interested in attending a Be Heard session, contact SWAN to book your space on 03333 447928 or at [email protected]
I relise that this service won’t go down well with the vast majority of people on this news platform. But in my opion it has never been needed more on the IW.
Well done guys. It is about time people started sticking up for themselves, instead of just moaning to everyone and anyone who can’t/won’t do anything.
About time that the general public get to know whom and where and when to make a formal complaint to the relevant agencies/services ect.
Even more so now, as we have ended up with an unaproachable MP that don’t give a fcuk unless you live in Bembridge or Seaveiw.
The IW Council and NHS sometimes need a kick up the a**s.