Looking back at our achievements over 25 years of Connected Voice Advocacy
As part of our 25th anniversary celebrations for Connected Voice Advocacy, we're looking back at our key achievements and the difference we have made, not only supporting marginalised and minoritised people in vulnerable circumstances, but also influencing national policy and good practice guidelines. We're proud of our impact, which over 25 years has:
- Delivered over 33 different advocacy services
- Provided advocacy support to over 8,500 people
- Carried out over 261,600 hours of advocacy
- Worked on over 13,000 issues with service users
- Trained and supervised over 250 volunteers
Have a look at our timeline below for an overview of our journey over the last 25 years!
Our Advocacy project was first set up in 1996 to support people, help them to be heard and secure their rights. As well as supporting people through our advocacy services, we also help to achieve positive change at a local, regional and national level by informing and influencing decision-makers in policy, service commissioning and service provision.
We are respected regionally and nationally as an advocacy leader, playing key roles in setting up local and national advocacy networks, drawing up the Advocacy Charter, the Code of Practice for Advocates and Advocacy Principles. We have provided evidence to numerous consultations about legislative reform. We have responded to developments in advocacy and to the introduction of new legislation e.g. providing statutory advocacy under the Mental Health, Mental Capacity and Care Acts
We have been at the forefront of innovation and digital inclusion, developing our self-advocacy tool, the DIYAdvocate® app and setting up unique specialist services such as advocacy for people with neurological conditions and those from ethnically minoritised communities.
We have been involved in cutting edge research, including working with Durham and Northumbria Universities on their new concept of 'Hate Relationships'. Read their report Exploring ‘hate relationships’ through Connected Voice’s Hate Crime Advocacy Service
We have built strong partnerships across the advocacy, VCSE and health and social care sectors including delivering the Families Through Crisis project together with NE Law Centre and Changing Lives and developing Brain Injury Advocacy with Headway.
We have made a collection of short films together with people we work with, referrers and commissioners to explain what advocacy is, how we support the people we work with and what difference it makes:
- It’s a Win-win: we met with people we work with, referrers, commissioners and Advocates to talk about the importance of advocacy and making our services accessible to everyone.
- Voices of Advocacy: shows how important advocacy is and how our team of Advocates' can support you through your journey.
- Fighting For Your Rights: made by people we work with about our advocacy support.
- Hate relationships: New understandings of hate crime: victim/survivors talk about their experiences of hate relationships, the impact on them and the difference support from our Hate Crime Advocacy service has made
Learn more about Connected Voice Advocacy’s history from our timeline and the 92 year history of Connected Voice in Our Story
Download alternative text version of the timeline
