ADVOCACY IN POWYS - ADULT SERVICE

Advocacy in Powys provides a free, confidential and independent advocacy service for people with mental health difficulties.
It will help you to make sure your voice is heard in whatever context is appropriate for you. We will support you at informal or formal meetings, hearings, assessments and reviews.

The Advocate will support you to speak for yourself, or will speak on your behalf. If you want the Advocate to speak on your behalf they will spend time with you beforehand making sure they understand what you want, and ensuring that they say only what you want them to say.
The Advocate will not make any decisions or choices on your behalf unless they have your permission. You remain in control of any agreed action, and will be kept fully informed at all times.

The Advocate will discuss and explore with you the various options facing you, and will attempt to provide full and balanced information so that you can make informed choices.

The Advocate is bound by a strict code of confidentiality and will not divulge any information about you unless they have your permission. However, confidentiality may be broken if the Advocate fears that there is a risk of significant harm to yourself or others, or that you are engaged in criminality. In any case they would make every effort to discuss it with you before taking any action.

You have the right to stop any action at any time.

Are you experiencing some form of mental distress?

The Powys Mental Health Advocacy Service tries hard to avoid putting labels on people. We recognise that there is far more to anyone than a label or diagnosis. Many people don’t like terms such as ‘mentally ill’, having ‘mental health problems or difficulties’, ‘depressive’ or ‘psychotic’ so we avoid these terms but understand the meaning behind them.

Highs and Lows of living with mental distress

One in four people in our country are thought to experience a form of mental distress at one time in their adult life. The majority cope for most of the time. Sometimes, however, the going can get tough. This is when the support and advice offered by the Powys Advocacy Service is needed.

Do any of these ring a bell?

• Worried about your mental health and not knowing what to do
• Needing mental health services but feeling you are ‘hitting a brick wall’
• Not consulted or informed about your diagnosis or treatment
• Needing to know about long term implications
• Bewildered by medical jargon
• Unhappy with your medical diagnosis
• Unhappy with the drugs you are prescribed
• Wanting to complain about health or social services but don’t know where to start or who to contact
• Not involved in or informed about your care plan / package
• Wanting to know about other forms of treatment
• Overwhelmed by dealing with professionals
• Treated badly by the police or other organisation
• Victimised at work
• Unhappy with your housing provider
• Facing a big meeting about you without any support
• Feeling your own views and insights are being ignored

To contact us:

• You can telephone the Advocacy Service
• You can ask someone to contact us on your behalf
• if you are in Shelton Hospital you can see an Advocate - just ask your key nurse to contact us
• You can be seen at home or at a drop in centre if this is preferred

Brecknock & Radnorshire CHC		Montgomery CHC
	2nd Floor 2 The Struet Brecon Powys LD3 7LH		Ladywell House Newtown Powys SY16 1JB
	01874 624206		01686 627632