Rochdale Advocacy Together Hub has contract extended with extra service

We’re pleased to announce that our Rochdale Advocacy Together Hub service has had the contract to provide advocacy support extended by the local authority. The previous Independent Advocacy contract was delivered by Together from 2016 to 2021 which included Statutory Advocacy, NHS Complaints Advocacy and Generic Advocacy.

The new contract that Together has been successful with in May 2021 will see a new model of delivery. The new contract includes Statutory Advocacy and NHS Complaints Advocacy which our advocates bring their previous experience and skills to. Alongside those two advocacy types we will also provide a Volunteer Scheme.

The Volunteer Scheme will deliver to the same principles of the Your Voice Advocacy Service that was previously developed by Operations and Development Manager, Tracy Moss and Project Manager, Moni Noszkay in the community. Tracy and Moni delivered the Your Voice Advocacy Service from 2012 to 2016 in Rochdale, which trained local volunteers to support their peers with person-centred Self Advocacy skills.

Moni Noszkay will be developing the new Volunteer Scheme and that will eventually include a Together pilot programme for Peer Support in Advocacy.

Commenting on the new contract Operations and Development Manager, Tracy Moss said:

Moni and the team have worked very hard to achieve the new opportunity. Together enjoys dedicated staff who work hard to progress existing services in Together and to develop new opportunities. Good work Moni!

Describing the advocacy service and reacting to the news of the contract being awarded to Together, Rochdale Advocacy Together Hub service user Elle-Michele reflected:

My life has changed since I found out about advocacy. I have Epilepsy and I was not able to get access to the service I needed as my illness makes it difficult for me to talk on the phone. My Advocate was patient and understanding, they spoke to Adult Social Care on my behalf and explained my rights. I am in a better place but not yet getting the service I need.

My Advocate says they will represent me until I reach my target which is to get a care package and a change of housing. I did not want to be transferred to another advocate because my advocate knows me well and I don’t have to explain myself all over again. I felt sick at the thought of my advocate being taken away. I am very pleased that they got the contract with Rochdale. When my advocate is away from work I am still able to talk to anyone in the Advocacy Team which makes me feel very confident in the service.