VoiceAbility: Manchester Advocacy Alliance

VoiceAbility are looking for groups to build a Manchester Advocacy Alliance together.

Everyone has the right to be informed, involved, heard, and to have control over ad challenge decisions about their health, care, and treatment. However, many people are unaware of these rights, are unable to express themselves in ways in which they are heard, or face situations where their choices are ignored or overruled.

Professional advocacy organizations play a crucial role in offering free, independent support, helping people understand their options, say what they want and have their voices heard. However, we aim to do more. We (VoiceAbility) want to ensure that more people understand their health and social care rights and have the tools and support to exercise them. We want more people to be able to advocate for themselves, for their friends and family at earlier points, before professional advocacy is needed.

We also recognise that inequity exists. Some communities face barriers in being listened to or accessing advocacy services, even when they know about them.

The solution?

We want to connect with communities across Manchester to identify barriers and the changes needed to overcome them. We want to collaborate with a broad range of organisations to co-design solutions that the issues and remove these inequities.  We want to work together so that these solutions are effective for the people who are currently heard and involved the least.

Through the Advocacy Alliance, we’re creating a central platform for community-focused advocacy. We’re creating a place and space to collaborate so people’s voices are heard across Manchester.

Want to hear more about the project? Watch this video

Want to join the Alliance?  Join one of the community groups on the social media provider of your choice:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13169294/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/manchesteradvocacyalliance

Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/ManchAdvocacyAlliance/

Got a question or want to talk it through more? Contact Trish Maunder, Community Development Coordinator at VoiceAbility on trish.maunder@voiceabilty.org or on 07974 461334.

About VoiceAbility

We make sure you’re heard when it matters most. We’ve been supporting people to have their say in decisions about their health, care and wellbeing for almost 40 years. We’re an independent charity and one of the UK’s largest providers of advocacy and involvement services.