The Advocacy Project

provides a free and confidential service for adult residents of South Lanarkshire aged 16 to 65 with mental health issues, whether they live in the community, or are in hospital or residential care.

Some examples of the ways we can support people are:

• Help in speaking up at meetings
• Finding information
• Assisting with difficult telephone calls
• Talking things over when a decision has to be made
• Making sure that people know their rights
• Speaking to doctors and others in authority
• Speaking to friends or relatives

We employ paid advocates who work with a number of clients, usually on a one to one basis, but sometimes with a group of people with issues in common. We also have trained volunteer advocates, each of whom is matched with one person and is expected to work with that person for at least a year.

The Project provides regular outreach within the psychiatric wards at Hairmyres Hospital and Wishaw General Hospital.

Independent advocacy is also available to patients at Hartwoodhill Hospital.

If you would like to find out more about what we can offer, or are interested in how to become a volunteer advocate, please get in touch.