Nottinghamshire residents to benefit from access to advocacy services from leading charity, POhWER

Residents in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire are to benefit from access to key information, advice and advocacy services after leading charity, POhWER, was given the green light to continue operating in the area.

POhWER have been providing statutory and non-statutory advocacy for residents of Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire since 2010.

With a recent successful re-tender of the service, they are proud to announce that they will continue to support the people of Nottinghamshire and aim to reach even more people who experience disability, vulnerability, distress and social exclusion.

POhWER’s advocacy service will provide person-centred support to service users so that they can know and safeguard their rights, obtain information, request access to services that meet their needs, become more independent, ensure their views, wishes, and choices are represented, understood and can be acted upon.

The service includes a specialist programme to provide advocacy support to residents of Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire with learning disabilities and/or autism to take part in decisions about their care and treatment when they have complex communication needs and are in hospital, secure services or at risk of admission to hospital.

Our team of trained, skilled and knowledgeable advocates will make it their mission to understand the needs and wishes of everyone who contacts them, while empowering them to have a voice, and know their rights and choices.

This service will run alongside POhWER’s other advocacy services in the East Midlands including in Leicestershire, North Lincolnshire, West Northamptonshire, and Rutland.

All of the advocacy, information and advice services provided by POhWER are free to access, independent, and confidential.

Elyzabeth Hawkes, POhWER’s Deputy Chief Executive, said: “We are delighted to be able to continue to work with and support people and communities in Nottingham City and Nottinghamshire.

“Our valued partner Nottinghamshire Deaf Society will be working in partnership with us to deliver advocacy and ensure that our advocates and advisers can support you to have informed choice and voice by working with you to support you to understand and access the rights and entitlements given to all of us in the Human Rights Act 1998.

“Our advocates work by your side to empower you through advocacy, information, advice and guidance giving you the tools, help and support you need to enable you to be involved in making your own choices and decisions about your life and how you wish to live it.”

A spokesperson for Nottinghamshire Deaf Society added: “We are excited to be given this opportunity to partner with POhWER to provide advocacy in the preferred language of the deaf person, whether that’s British Sign Language or spoken English and by someone who has personal experience of deafness.”