National Forum Report

Region:
Date:

South East
June 2016

We had a successful regional

meeting on the 9th of May in
London

Our 3 Burning issues were:

Advocacy
Safeguarding
Benefits and information
not being easy read

We asked people in our

region about their
experiences of Advocacy
and how this works in their
area.
There was a mixed response.
Some people said there was
funding for self advocacy
groups in their area some
people said there was not.
All agreed good advocacy
support is needed as this
helps self advocates access
training to become qualified

in how to speak up,

campaign, know their rights,
pass on their knowledge and
promote leadership.

People felt many selfadvocacy groups dont get

the funding support that is
needed and this can mean
services are over run.
People said it seemed like
advocacy is at the bottom
of the list because it is not
law that this work is funded
and felt The Advocacy Act
should be changed and we
should campaign for that by
talking to MPs.

Many groups in the region

are working with local police
and councils on
safeguarding.
- CLASP in Wokingham has a
training group called 'Listen
To Us' who deliver learning
disability awareness training.
From January- March, they
worked with the Community
Wardens and Police

Community Support Officers

to deliver LD training to all
year 7 pupils in a local school
and have worked with the
local council to put together
an easy read safeguarding
leaflet.
They went to the 'Reimagining Social Care'
conference in
Birmingham and gave a
presentation on how people
want to be treated through
the safeguarding process
Their local Council has asked
them to deliver the
presentation to their staff as
well.

Its my Life and Creative

Support held a safeguarding
and keeping safe workshop
with Thames Valley Police
and the West Berks
Safeguarding Teams
Community Wardens

Kingston Advocacy Group

made a DVD and
information pack on
reporting hate crime called
Sticking up for yourself and
staying safe in partnership
with Surrey Police.
David and Barry have given
us some copies if anyone
would like one.
Benefit changes and
Information
People said benefits letters
are not accessible this
causes a lot of anxiety for
people who find it difficult to
read and understand their
letters, they dont know if
their benefits are being
stopped, or what the letter is
asking them and are then
reliant on support to help
them read and understand
the letter.
One Self Advocate said
every time the government
change something it makes
things really hard. When you
get letters saying your
benefits are stopping, you
start panicking. Some
people worry so much it
affects their health.