Advocates for Change: New culturally appropriate service launched in Birmingham

source: Catalyst 4 Change CIC
published: February 2024

Catalyst 4 Change is pleased to announce that we are part of new partnership called Advocates for Change providing Mental advocacy in Birmingham and Solihull primarily for African and Caribbean communities and other racialised communities. This service is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

Our partners are: 

• POhWER - the largest advocacy organisation delivering mental health advocacy, NHS complaints and neighbourhood network scheme services for a number of local authorities, NHS Trusts and private care providers
• Sandwell African and Caribbean Mental Health Foundation (SACMHF)- provides culturally responsive mental health services to African and Caribbean communities in Sandwell and West Birmingham since 1994

Advocates for Change has been commissioned by DHSC to provide culturally appropriate advocacy.

Culturally Appropriate Advocacy was recommended by the Independent Review of the Mental Health Act, to address the disproportionate rates of detention of people from racialised groups and to improve their experience of mental health services by ensuring that people have their views heard and properly considered.

The need for greater advocacy to center service users in decision making about their care and involve their carers was also a key theme from our Patient Carer RACE Equality Framework engagement sessions in 2021/22- See 'Catalyst and PCREF'.

Emerging key features of Culturally Appropriate Advocacy approach include the following:

• Promoting and protecting rights
• Knowledge and engagement with local community organisations
• Understanding community history, cultural expressions of distress, preference for support( the role of faith organisations, family and community) and the nature of potential stigma
• Addressing racism
• Linking individual and collective themes to systemic change

Advocates for Change is designed to meet the individual cultural needs of people from racialised communities so that they can access support without encountering barriers, have improved experiences and achieve better outcomes.

The service will aim to support people to speak up for themselves when their cultural and faith needs are not being or their experience discrimination. We will speak up for people when they cannot.

We will be supporting people both within and following discharge from inpatient mental health settings in Birmingham and Solihull.

The service activities will include:

• In-patient independent advocacy support including self-awareness raising sessions within a range of Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust settings- led by POhWER 
• Community based advocacy support, carers groups, Lived experience peer support and signposting to additional support access pathways- Led by SACMHF
• Engaging with the relevant Birmingham & Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust to share the concerns and experiences of service users from racialised communities and their carers, develop ideas to drive change - led by Catalyst 4 Change
  

It will be delivered by advocates trained to be aware of cultural and faith needs and to adapt their practice to meet these needs. Advocates are also trained in understanding the impact of racism on mental health. The team includes advocates with a lived experience of mental ill health and racism.

Our aim is to ensure that everyone has access to an advocate when they need one to enable them to overcome barriers, have their voice heard and have their needs met by mental health services.

The service will be fully operational by the end of February 2024. We will be providing promotional leaflets and information in a variety of languages and formats We also have access to translation and interpreting services including BSL.

For more details about this service and to make a referral please contact:

POhWER 

Selina Edwards, Community Manager 

Email: pohwer@pohwer.net

Tel: 0300 456 2370

www.phower.net/culturally-appropriate-advocacy-service-birmingham-and-solihull

Sandwell African & Caribbean Mental Health Foundation

Pat Johnson, Chief Executive Officer or Rebecca Gardner, Operations Manager

Email: info@sacmhf.co.uk

Tel: 0121 525 1629

Catalyst 4 Change

Sandra Griffiths, Business & Partnership Manager 

Email: enquiries@catalyst4change.org.uk 

Tel: 0844 884 3318 (voicemail)

Catalyst will be posting more information about Advocates for Change on our website and social media profiles in later in February and March.