by Cindy Chen | 9th Nov 2017
Bridgend Voice & Choice is the localised independent advocacy and support project for Bridgend. Bridgend County Borough Council supports the service.
We told our story last month of how we helped in Bridgend Voice & Choice’s creation. Now it is the turn of Richard Thomas from Bridgend County Borough Council. Richard is a Strategic Commissioning Officer in the Social Services and Wellbeing Directorate.
How did the Bridgend Voice & Choice project come about? What outcomes did you hope to achieve?
Bridgend Voice & Choice is a co-produced response to the statutory need to ensure access to an Independent Professional Advocate where necessary for people in Bridgend using social services, or their carers. The Council wanted to make sure that the advocacy service was inclusive and accessible to all client groups. We benefitted from the support of the Golden Thread Advocacy Programme in supporting a stakeholder workshop where the local ‘Hub & Spoke’ service model was agreed upon. The main aim of this model is to provide a single point of access that can then signpost or refer eligible people to the most appropriate advocacy service.
What is ProMo-Cymru’s role in this project?
ProMo-Cymru provides the Advocacy Information Hub for the Bridgend Voice & Choice service. This means they provide a bilingual helpline accessible for 16 hours a day, as well as text and online contact options. ProMo-Cymru also support the communication link to local advocacy services who take up appropriate referrals.
How has ProMo-Cymru brought value to this project?
ProMo-Cymru has excellent strategic knowledge of advocacy in Wales, particularly for children and young people (CYP). While the Bridgend Voice & Choice service is intended for adults, the strong knowledge of CYP advocacy is an added strength. Also ProMo-Cymru’s technical capacity to support the Hub function of the Bridgend service is another quality. ProMo-Cymru are willing collaborators which makes a multi-agency partnership much more effective.
Can you describe your experience working with ProMo-Cymru?
ProMo-Cymru have been creative and proactive in engaging with local partners within the Bridgend Voice & Choice service and with other affiliated service providers. They also have strong values in promoting community solutions which is very appealing to public service commissioners.
How do you think ProMo-Cymru’s TEC model could benefit other public sector services?
ProMo-Cymru’s TEC model provides an extremely cost-effective solution for the public sector to engage with its target audiences. The range of contact methods and technologies employed offers a robust and future-friendly service model that enables contact with public services to be as accessible and interactive as possible.
Everything starts with a conversation
ProMo-Cymru works towards building positive change and lasting relationships between individuals, families and communities. Providing innovative and creative solutions through meaningful conversations and digital technology. If you’d like to discuss how our TEC Model can help your organisation then get in touch.
