An important document called the Gwent Advocacy for Adults strategy has been launched today, Friday 25th October, to support citizens in getting their voices heard, in relation to the care support that they may need. This has been the result of joint working by many partners – including local authority commissioners, advocacy organisations and citizens themselves.
It is the first time that a regional commissioning strategy has been developed in this way in Wales.
Led by the Gwent Regional Partnership Board, with support from Age Cymru’s Golden Thread Advocacy Programme, there has been a fully co-productive approach to developing this advocacy strategy, taking time to get a wide range of views that have all fed into the final document.
Alongside the strategy, there is a single access helpline, open to both those who work in care services, and direct to citizens themselves. Grant funded through the Integrated Care Fund, the Gwent Access to Advocacy (GATA) helpline has been developed alongside the strategy and is delivered by ProMo-Cymru, a charity and social enterprise working with the third and public sector in Wales to create better services for citizens using digital technology.
Staffed by a team of highly skilled professional Helpline Advisor Advocates, the free telephone helpline can be contacted on 0808 8010566 for advocacy-related information, advice and support. GATA is open Monday to Friday, 10am to 3pm.
The helpline has been rolled out across Torfaen, Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly and Monmouthshire. (Existing arrangements in Newport, where Dewis Centre for Independent Living are the main advocacy provider, will remain)
Phil Robson, Chair of the Gwent Regional Partnership Board stated:
“Making sure that all our citizens are able to make their voices heard is vitally important if we are to truly transform and improve our health and social care services to be fit for the twenty first century. We know that the care system can be overly complex and not always easy for citizens to find and access the information and support that can best help them. Advocacy has an important part to play in making sure that all voices are heard – and we recognize that this is an important service that needs to be available equitably, where and when needed.”