Updates

This year, Mental Health Awareness Week has a theme of Body Image – how we think and feel about our bodies.  

Edinburgh Community Voices, LEARN and REH Patients Council are hosting a collective advocacy event bringing in-patients, service users, survivors, people with lived experience and mental health health professionals together to discuss: how can people who experience poor mental health ensure that their rights are recognised, respected and realised in relation to their bodies and the processes of care, treatment and recovery.

You can find out more about the event and book a place via this Eventbrite link: 

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/mind-our-rights-mentalphysical-health-and-human-rights-connect-through-conversation-tickets-60404752240?aff=ebdssbdestsearch 

Places are limited so please book if you wish to attend | Sandwich lunch provided for all attendees at 1pm

Please share with your networks as appropriate

Thank you

Edinburgh Community Voices in collaboration with LEARN & REH Patients Council

Thanks to all those who attended and participated in our recent AGM. We also said goodbye to our outgoing Chairperson, Dianna Manson. We thank you for all your hard work and dedication, and wish you all the best for the future.

Our AGM report – which was distributed at the meeting – is available here for download:

Our Strategy Document is also available here:

Here is the February 2019 Newsletter / What’s On from Edinburgh Community Voices and AdvoCard:

We hope you find the Newsletter useful – it has updates on the AdvoCard Collective Advocacy projects and lots of information about support group meetings and other events in Edinburgh. If we have included information about your project or event, please check that we have printed the correct information… and let us know if we need to change anything for the next edition.  

Please get in touch if there is anything you would like us to include on a regular basis or if you would like to write something for a future edition.

The next main Edinburgh Community Voices meeting will take place: 

• on Wednesday 6 February 
  
• between 2pm and 4pm
• at AdvoCard
  332 Leith Walk, EH6 5BR 
• free tea, coffee and biscuits and some good conversation
• All welcome 

Edinburgh Community Voices meetings are open to anyone with lived experience of mental health issues.  If you have not been to and Edinburgh Community Voices meeting before and would like to come along you can call or email to ask us about what we do at the meetings.

warm regards
Patricia and Becky

Hello and best wishes for the New Year!

Here is the January 2019 Newsletter / What’s On from Edinburgh Community Voices and AdvoCard:

We hope you find the Newsletter useful – it has updates on the AdvoCard Collective Advocacy projects and lots of information about support group meetings and other events in Edinburgh. If we have included information about your project or event, please check that we have printed the correct information…and let us know if we need to change anything for the next edition.  

Please get in touch if there is anything you would like us to include on a regular basis or if you would like to write something for a future edition.

The next main Edinburgh Community Voicesmeeting will take place 

• on Wednesday 9 January (as AdvoCard will be closed on Wednesday 2 January)  
  
• between 2pm and 4pm
• at AdvoCard
  332 Leith Walk, EH6 5BR 
• free tea, coffee and biscuits and some good conversation
• All welcome 

Edinburgh Community Voices meetings are open to anyone with lived experience of mental health issues.  If you have not been to and Edinburgh Community Voices meeting before and would like to come along you can call or email to ask us about what we do at the meetings.

warm regards
Patricia and Becky

2018 12 December Newsletter

Click on the link above for the December 2018 Newsletter / What’s On from Edinburgh Community Voices and AdvoCard.

AdvoCard Newsletter Nov 2018

Here is the November 2018 Newsletter / What’s On from Edinburgh Community Voices and AdvoCard.

This month, on Page 2, you can read about our peer research looking at physical health care for people with current or lived experience of mental health issues…and side effects of psychiatric medications and how to contribute to this work.

We hope you find the Newsletter useful – it has updates on the AdvoCard Collective Advocacy projects and lots of information about support group meetings and other events in Edinburgh. If we have included information about your project or event, please check that we have printed the correct information…and let us know if we need to change anything.

Please get in touch if there is anything you would like us to include on a regular basis or if you would like to write something for a future edition.

We were very pleased that the “right to independent advocacy” was included in the new Scottish Social Security System.  If you have used our Welfare Reform advocacy service (via Arlene or Devrim), you may wish to help shape the standards which will be written for advocacy in the new System.  The Scottish Government is holding a series of focus group meetings.  You can read more about these and book places by following the following link:

https://beta.gov.scot/publications/independent-advocacy-standards-focus-group-meetings/

2018 09 September Newsletter

People often tell us about two important issues: experiences of physical health care when you have a mental health diagnosis or lived experience of mental health issues; and side effects of psychiatric medication

We are carrying out research to get these experiences down on paper, to identify any common issues and to gather your views about what needs to be done to improve the care people receive for their physical health issues and to address the issue of medication side effects.

The aim of this research isn’t to make a judgment about physical health care in Edinburgh or the pros and cons of medication.  People have different views on these issues and what we want to do is represent those views.

Please note: this is for people who live in Edinburgh and who have lived experience of mental health issues or have used mental health services.

*This is peer research – that means that people with lived experience of mental health issues have planned the research, and we have two peer researchers who both have lived experience who are working with us to carry out the research.*

How to take part

We’ve found that it can be really powerful to be able to relate people’s experiences and views in their own words.  We’ve put together two questionnaires (one for each issue) so that you can help us to do this.

You can fill in one of the questionnaires, or both, whichever is relevant for you.  There are different ways that you can fill in the questionnaires:

• Online
• On your computer
• By hand
• With the help of one of the peer researchers or an AdvoCard worker

If you would like help to fill in your form, please let us know by the end of October so we can arrange a time to meet with you.

Here are the word document copies of the questionnaires (please click on the questionnaire that you want to download):

Peer Research – Word Doc Questionnaire (Treatment and Support)

Peer Research – Word Doc Questionnaire (Side effects)

Large Print Word Doc Questionnaire (Treatment and Support)

Large Print Word Doc Questionnaire (Side effects)

These are the links which will take you to the online questionnaires –

Physical Health Support and Treatment: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/IZRGU/

Side Effects of Psychiatric / Mental Health Medication:   https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/BAA60/

This information sheet will tell you more about filling in the questionnaire online:  

Peer Research Information Sheet – Online 

Large Print Information Sheet – Online Questionnaire 

The deadline for filling in the questionnaire online or sending us your completed questionnaire is end of day, Wednesday 12th December.

If you would like us to send you a printed copy of the questionnaire, would like help to fill in the questionnaire or have any questions, please contact Becky – [email protected], 0131 554 5307.