The Advocates for Change Programme: a partnership approach

source: Catalyst/Beverley Stephens

published: May 2025

Over the past 12 months, we have had over 200 conversations with Black carers, patients and users of mental health services about the things that matter to them when receiving culturally appropriate advocacy services, primarily for those who are from African and Caribbean descent.

We set about understanding more around:

• In-patient mental health advocacy and discharge support
• Community outreach support needs 
• Lived experience peer support models
• Collective Advocacy and co-production groups
• Carers networks and information sessions

For the duration of the programme, alongside our partnership with PohWER Advocacy Service and Sandwell African Caribbean Mental Health Foundation (SACMHF) achieved a better overall understanding about the range of issues relating to unmet cultural needs and discrimination within mental health settings and in formal community mental health services after hospital discharge.

SACMHF is a valued organisation dedicated to supporting the wellbeing of African and Caribbean communities. Established in 1994, SACMHF provides culturally responsive services, ensuring that individuals receive care tailored to their specific needs and experiences. SACMHF offers practical, emotional, and social support, helping individuals navigate challenges such as isolation, stigma, and access to appropriate care.

PohWER was set up in 1996 by service users who got tired of others making assumptions about their capabilities and views, and wanted equal access to information and a voice of their own. The charity provides information, advice, support and advocacy to people who experience disability, vulnerability, distress and social exclusion. Their team provided leadership around the programme management as well as working within Birmingham and Solihull mental health hospital settings to provide advocacy advice to inpatients and feeding back to the care teams and managers about patient concerns and additional needs

During the year we know that we raised awareness of people’s mental health advocacy rights through our ‘Know Your Rights’ webinars, collective engagement sessions, fostered new community partnerships, strengthened community voices about culturally appropriate support/care, and cemented recommendations that Catalyst 4 Change will take forward for action with statutory service leaders. 

The programme allowed service users, patients and carers concerns to be heard, spell out service issues experienced, and explore practical solutions that can be shared with mental health hospitals and community teams in such a way that services, can be redesigned.

So, what’s next? Now that the programme finished at the end of March, we will consolidate our learning alongside our community partners involved in the programme and maintain some of the significant and impactful aspects of the projects activity and keep listening to the voice of patients, carers and service users who are at the forefront of our mission to see African and Caribbean people receive care at the right time, right place and by the right people!

We invite you to look out for more information during the year about our ‘Know Your Rights’ conversation webinars and other community events where you can get involved in the follow-up of this work.

If you’d like to get involved or have any questions, please contact Beverley Stephens (Temporary PCREF Lead) beverley.stephens@catalyst4change.org.uk