LETTER: Issues facing disabled people in Brent that require advocacy, information and support

 Dear Editor,

Brent Advocacy Concerns closed down in September 2021 but before we went, we attended the most recent Disability Forum last July, followed by a special meeting in August where we informed the board's consultation about what we felt should be included in their strategy concerning Brent's estimated 50,000 disabled people and elders.

We are pleased that as part of our legacy, the Board have agreed to include 'non -statutory advocacy' within their future commissioning plans (page 30 of the strategy) and hopefully the board will be able to provide services to all those disabled people looking for advocacy, information and support.  Today the main issue facing disabled people in Brent is the 'Cost of Living Crisis', especially the increasing cost of energy, while the following year several thousands of Brent's residents will be looking for advice regarding  the new Social Care plans.

Before Brent Advocacy closed, we had many disabled people requesting our help to enable them or access 'continuing healthcare' and had we remained open, we would have been able to support many more disabled and elders in accessing some of the new social Care  provisions but now there is no one left in Brent able to take this on.

Finally, Brent Advocacy Concerns offered a unique service to Brent's disabled and elders for 33 years, as it was free to everyone who came to us and sometimes a client woul come to us with one issue before we discovered that they had other issues that needed solving. But we always tried to help everyone who came to our office in Willesden and I can honestly say, we never turned anyone away.

Thanks 

 

John Healy.

LETTER: Who will provide advocacy for Brent's 50,000 disabled & elders?

 Dear Editor,

The government published their Social Care White Paper yesterday (1st December 2021) and identified the main problem facing elders & disabled people is in accessing advocacy,  information &  advice about what services are available at a local level.  To meet this need funding of £5,000,000 will be provided covering the first 3 years, to provide advocacy, advice & information which will be delivered by locally based organisations.

Two years ago exactly (end of November 2019) Brent Advocacy Concerns had to give up their office and at the time we were providing advocacy, information & advice to disabled people and elders in every Ward in Brent all for free. 

We leased our office at The Willesden Centre for Health & Care from NHS Property Services but we could not afford the rent.  We asked both Brent Council & Brent CCG to help us out financially but we were were not offered any help and the CCG even said there was no demand for advocacy and instead of funding us, they felt the money saved could be used in providing services that were in demand.

In over 30 years at our Willesden office we built up a team of advocates who were all disabled people and therefore were able to identify with other disabled people & elders looking for help.  e.g. I had both a BA degree and diploma in Health & Welfare, along with 28 years of providing advocacy support and most of my experience centred around Housing & Social Care, together with various Health issues.

After leaving our office we continued to provide services with disabled people contacting us by email, or over the phone but we realised we could not deliver the same level of service without an office, where we could see potential clients face to face.  So we decided to close down and we were removed from the Register of Charties last September (2021) after completing over 33 years of providing free services to Brent's disabled communities, along with Brent Elders.

It will be interesting to see who takes over from Brent Advocacy Concerns and whoever it is, will they continue to provide services for free including advocacy, information and advice to Brent's estimated 50,000 disabled & elders who are all potential clients?

From John Healy

Former trustee and volunteer advocate of Brent Advocacy Concerns (Charity Number 1001369).