The local Mental Health & Wellbeing Network for Oldham was held on 16^th July which ran a theme on ‘Advocacy’.  The event is held on a quarterly basis and organised by Tameside Oldham and Glossop Mind.  The decision to focus on advocacy came from a lack of understanding about advocacy by the public and professionals.  The theme was jointly supported by Action for Advocacy and Rick Henderson the Chief Executive spoke about the challenges for advocacy and the need to work together for the future development of services.

The day started with a brainstorm around four particular areas of the manifesto to highlight local issues and what the advocacy services that lead in Oldham needed to concentrate on.  The areas where volunteering, safeguarding, personalisation and diversity.   The outcome of this brainstorm has been posted on the organisation’s Oldham website but clearly echoed the Manifesto that A4A have brought together from the Shaping the Vision conference in March 2010.  Issues such as a lack of information from statutory services;  the public being unaware of what advocacy was; a request for advocacy to be involved from the onset of planning care and decision making; a recognition that advocacy helped the advocacy client to focus and absorb information; an acknowledgement that advocacy needed to cater for the diversity of local communities and be there for the current needs rather than what was there from the past; and that volunteering as advocates allowed people who had experience of services to utilise their experiences positively as well as take up a route to potential employment. 

Several organisations presented on the day including Independent Mental Health Advocacy, Advocacy in Dementia, Advocacy for people with learning disabilities, advocacy for children in care, advocacy for carers, complaints through ICAS for the NHG and advocacy for people who lack capacity through the statutory IMCA service.

The day ended with closing remarks from Rick, who concluded that advocacy providers needed to be better prepared for the challenges ahead as well as being able to understand the priorities of the new coalition government and find our place with these.

A follow on event will be planned for 2011 to see where advocacy has travelled for the locality over the year.  Thanks to everyone who took part including the local Mind Team, A4A, Age Concern Oldham, Oldham Personal Advocacy Ltd, The Royal Princess Carers Trust Service, ICAS, The Children’s Society and Advocacy Experience.  To find out more about the next network, please contac the office on 0161 620 0123.