BackMental Health Reform has today launched a new report entitled, The Advocacy Needs of Mental Health Service Users Living in the Community: A Pilot Study. The report examines the need for independent, one-to-one advocacy supports for people who use mental health services and who need help to make decisions or access their rights and entitlements.
Launching the report, the Ombudsman said, “I greatly welcome the publication of this report. Often, people receiving treatment for mental health difficulties will greatly benefit from the support of an independent advocate to guide them through the system, help them to understand their condition and treatment, and to get answers to questions that are troubling them. Of equal importance from my perspective is that an independent advocate can help a service user to complain when they’re not happy. The high percentage of people who don’t know how to complain revealed by the survey is sadly not a surprise to me, but it is essential that we learn from people’s experience of their services, and especially any mistakes, if we are to improve services for the future.”
Source: Office of the Ombudsman, Ireland
