Free service launched to support North Ayrshire people with health and care decisions
We’ve recently launched a contract with the North Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership to provide an advocacy service for adults across North Ayrshire and Arran to be heard in decisions about their health, care and wellbeing.
The service includes supporting and empowering someone to communicate their views and wishes, understand their rights, and make their own choices with things like Mental Health Act tribunals, communicating with health and social care professionals, and making a complaint.
This is in addition to our Scotland-wide advocacy service, which has been supporting disabled people across the country to access benefits since April 2022.
VoiceAbility advocates Emily Cumming, Isobelle Wood, Amy Kingston and Susan Wilson
Caroline Cameron, director of North Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP), said: “We are delighted to begin this new partnership with VoiceAbility, which will allow North Ayrshire residents to have their voices heard and views understood when it comes to important decisions about their health, care and wellbeing.”
The HSCP is committed to ensuring that people in our communities are able to express their needs, make informed decisions and have their rights and interests protected, and offering a high-quality, independent advocacy service plays a crucial role in this.
VoiceAbility advocate Elizabeth Hewitson and operations manager Emily Johnson
Emily Johnston, VoiceAbility’s operations manager for Scotland, said: “VoiceAbility is passionate about supporting people to be heard when it matters most.
“We’re really pleased to be working with the North Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership, North Ayrshire Council and support networks across the area to reach as many people who need our services as possible.
“If you think you, or a friend or family member could benefit from support to be heard and understand your rights, you can call us for free on 0300 303 1660 or make a referral for support on our website.”
Julie Barrett, Senior Manager at HSCP (who was involved with the transition and responsible for the service), said: “As the commissioning body, North Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership worked extremely closely with VoiceAbility as the incoming provider to mobilise their new independent advocacy contract.
“Together we worked with the outgoing provider, to cease and to support the transition of individuals still in requirement of independent advocacy support. We did so through joint working, very careful and considerate planning, and collaboration over materials and communications.
“VoiceAbility are a very experienced provider, experienced in the commencement and ending of contracts, and they were very professional, supportive, kind and compassionate in their response.”