Funding for a dedicated advocacy service on the Acute wards at
St George’s
ceased in 2006. We
currently offer a minimal service to people on the forensic wards.
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about the project - before funding ceased
The users of this service are often
in a very distressed condition when they are first admitted to the
acute wards. Being in a psychiatric hospital with a possible
'section' ahead of you is a very frightening time for anyone, having
access to an advocate can sometimes help a service user to
understand some of the things that are happening to them.
A major part of Louise's role is
to represent people at CPA (Care Programme Approach) meetings and
review meetings. When people first come into hospital they are often
too distressed to attend these meetings and ask for an advocate to
represent them. However by the end of their stay they may well be
confident enough to have Louise there just for moral support and
are able to voice their own needs and wishes quite happily.
Most issues on the wards seem to be
about communication. Louise is often asked to find information
about medication, the 'section' a service user has been put under,
what will happen when they go home, etc. It is often a matter of
asking the relevant member of staff to explain the situation clearly
to the service user in order to allay their fears.
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