Lothian Voices
About the project
Lothian Voices is a collective advocacy project bringing people together from across Lothian. The group ensures that decision makers hear their views on mental health services.
The People’s Conference
Every year Lothian Voices organises the People’s Conference with support from CAPS. The People’s Conference is for people with lived experience of mental health issues who live in the NHS Lothian area.
The People’s Conference always has lots of discussion and interactive activities to join in with. In 2023 the conference was all about housing and mental health and led to a number of actions including a letter to Scotland’s housing minister, Paul McLennan.
The group’s activities have expanded with the goal of exploring more ways to get people in Lothians views heard on a national stage. They have submitted responses, as a group, on topics such as the Mental Health Law Review and the consultation on a Scottish Adult Social Care Service. The group are active members of the Mental Health Cross Party Parliamentary group of the Scottish Parliament and regularly attend, submit responses and take part in oral evidence sessions. Read more about work with the Cross Party Parliamentary Group.
Previous People’s Conferences
Since the start of Lothian Voices the project has organised ten People’s Conferences on different topics important to people. Previous conferences are listed below with links to their reports.
- The People’s Conference Report 2023 What Makes a House a Home?
- The People’s Conference Report 2022 The Price of Recovery
- The People’s Conference Report 2021 Meaningful engagement and involvement of lived experience
- Virtually The People’s Conference 2020 ‘Our Lockdown Experience’
- The People’s Conference Report 2019 ‘All Together Now!’ Our Mad Future
- People Make Change Video 2018 A celebration of collective advocacy
- The People’s Conference Report 2017 ‘Swings and Roundabouts’: how health and care services support people through the welfare system
- The People’s Conference Report 2016 ‘Dear Doctor…’ how GP practices work with people who have mental health issues
- The People’s Conference Report 2015 ‘Working With All of Me’: how services can work more holistically
- The People’s Conference Report 2014 Lothian Mental Health Strategy: ‘A Sense of Belonging’
If you would like to find out more about Lothian Voices and the work they do or you would like to be involved in the project, please contact collective@capsadvocacy.org
