Changes to Advocacy Services in Cambs

24th October 201615th May 2017 Trish

Please find below information about changes to advocacy services in Cambridgeshire which may be of help or interest to people in your local community. Advocacy can be especially useful for people who have a disability and need to make their voice heard. Advocates can give advice, support and information to people of any age, helping them to voice their concerns and guiding them through difficult or challenging times. An e-leaflet about the new service is attached and there is information online at www.totalvoicecp.org.

Changes to advocacy services from 10^th October 2016

From Monday 10^th October advocacy services for Adults, Carers, Children and Young People Looked After or In Need, across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough will be brought together into one service.

The new service called Total Voice will deliver all commissioned statutory and non-statutory advocacy services through a new partnership of specialist advocacy organisations coordinated through one central Total Voice team.

The Total voice partnership brings together advocates from VoiceAbility, Cambridgeshire Deaf Association (CDA) and NYAS.

Total Voice can be contacted:

· By phone – 0300 222 5704

· By email – tvcp@voiceability.org

· Online – www.totalvoicecp.org

Children and young people can contact a NYAS advisor directly by calling 0808 808 1001 or emailing help@nyas.net

All professional referrals to statutory advocacy that meet eligibility criteria will be allocated directly to a specialist advocate.

The new service will:

· Have a dedicated telephone line for people to get information about advocacy services available and tools needed to help themselves.

· Provide peer support and group advocacy sessions, led by trained volunteers who have experience of using health and social services.

· Provide face-to-face advocacy delivered by professional, experienced advocates.

Details about the service are also available on the Total Voice website at www.totalvoicecp.org The website also includes links to referral forms.