About us
In January 2001 the Scottish Executive published "Independent Advocacy: A Guide For Commissioners". The Guide provided commissioners with a basic framework of principles and practical steps, around which the planning, funding and implementation of independent advocacy was to be structured. The Guide was developed by a small group of commissioners from health boards and local authorities, with assistance from Advocacy 2000 and Scottish Human Services.
NHS Boards and their partners were expected to submit detailed proposals for the development of independent advocacy services by the end of July 2001 and to have agreed arrangements implemented by December 2001.
In response to this, a Highland Advocacy Action Plan was produced for 2001-04, setting out the priorities for advocacy in the area. One of the priorities was the provision of a generic, independent, issue based advocacy service to cover Highland.
Given the geography of the Highlands, and the funding available for advocacy services, the Highland Advocacy Plan proposed a volunteer based model for advocacy services. This was in line with Scottish Executive guidance stating that advocacy services should be firmly rooted in their community of interest, and their local geographic community. In doing so, the Plan recognised the added value that volunteers can bring to a service. The use of volunteers can provide a service with access to knowledge and skills that might otherwise not be utilised; peer confidence within a community; and flexibility. Volunteers themselves are able to utilise and build on existing skills; promote the Service within their community through existing informal networks; and gain new skills, thereby building capacity both personally and within their local community.
In developing a new, independent advocacy service in Highland, the statutory services funding advocacy were aware of the difficulties involved in trying to develop such an organisation themselves, and consequently commissioned Community Involvement Trust Scotland to undertake this work. A Steering Group and Reference Group were established from interested parties, including people who had previous experience of using advocacy; people who would have used advocacy had it been available in Highland; voluntary organisations; and other interested organisations. The Steering Group then developed Advocacy Highland over the next two to three years. In autumn 2003, Age Concern employed staff whilst the necessary work to establish Advocacy Highland’s Board and registering it as a charitable concern was undertaken. Advocacy Highland became an independently constituted organisation in March 2004.
Although the ultimate aim of Advocacy Highland was to provide a Highland wide, generic, issue based, independent advocacy service, funding constraints required the Steering Group to set initial service priorities (see below). Advocacy Highland has become the main vehicle for providing independent advocacy under the terms of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003.
Priorities
Advocacy Highland provides individual, issue based advocacy for people of all ages, including children. Current service priorities are:
- People who have mental health problems, including dementia
- People who have learning disabilities
- Older people who are frail
The initial service priorities, set out in the Service Level Agreement did not include people who are homeless. However, Albyn Housing Society approached Advocacy Highland and offered to access funding through Communities Scotland’s Wider Role funding. This then enabled homelessness to be added to Advocacy Highland’s list of service priorities.