Advocacy needs to be independent and secure

Sheffield Community Health Council has just published the results of a survey into Mental Health Advocacy Needs in Sheffield.

It found that existing services were highly valued and recommends that these should be strengthened with increased and secure funding. The reports authors said ‘The complexity of the present system means that the two things that should be supporting people with mental health problems – money to live on while they are ill, and health care to make them better – are almost impossible to access without help.’

It is a powerful, well researched, document. It includes many revealing first hand experiences of the mental health and other services and explores the role of advocates. 

“We don’t need an advocate for the benefits issues, we need a contract killer for CSL” service user quoted in the report. 

It highlighted the need for advocacy to be linked to other services like the Citizen’s Advice Bureau, but for it to remain independent and involve services users in its organisation. The report is available free from Sheffield Community Health Council (Tel. 273 7361).