Edinburgh Collective Advocacy
Do you have experience of mental health issues and live in Edinburgh?
Do you want to:
- Have your say about information and services for people with experience of mental health issues?
- Try to make changes in the way you are treated or the services that you receive?
- Then get involved in this collective advocacy project!
About the Edinburgh collective advocacy project
CAPS provides collective advocacy opportunities for people who live in Edinburgh and who have experience of mental health issues. The Mental Health (Care and Treatment) Act 2003 gives people the right to access Independent Advocacy.
Our purpose is to bring together groups of individuals with a common cause to raise awareness, campaign and influence service planning and provision. The group comes together to talk about mental health services and other issues that are important to them.
Read the announcement of the launch of this work.
Welcome sessions
The project is in the early stages. The Collective Advocacy Worker who facilitates it, Angharad, is providing a number of welcome sessions in each of the four localities of Edinburgh. This is a drop-in session where you can learn what collective advocacy is and see if you would like to be involved. Pop in to chat to the CAPS advocacy workers running this project. Teas and coffees (and biscuits!) will be provided. Upcoming dates are below:
Gilmerton Community Centre – Thursday 14th December, 4 to 6 pm
Norton Park Conference Centre (Leith) – Tuesday 9th January, 2 to 4 pm
Hub 531 (Juniper Green) – Tuesday 16th January, 4 to 6 pm
Oxgangs Neighbourhood Centre – Monday 22nd January, 4 to 6 pm
Why get involved?
Collective advocacy enables a peer group of people, as well as a wider community with shared interests, to represent their views, preferences and experiences.
Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance
The benefits of Collective advocacy include:
- Reducing feelings of isolation when raising a difficult issue
- Providing a stronger collective voice which is more difficult to ignore.
- Sharing your experiences and opinions helping you to have your voice heard.
- Building skills and understanding your rights.
- Meeting likeminded people
If you, or a group you go to, would like to be involved please come along to one of the welcome sessions or fill in the Get Involved form below, selecting the Edinburgh collective advocacy option and Angharad will get in touch with you.
(If you would like mental health information related to Edinburgh you can find it on the iThrive website).
For more information contact Angharad at angharad@capsadvocacy.org or 07989 402 612.
