Through The Maze A guide to developing advocacy for young people experiencing emotional or mental health issues

What is ‘Through The Maze’? A guide to setting up accessible and effective advocacy services for young people experiencing emotional health issues Who is it for? For advocacy providers, developers and commissioners, or other services aiming to make their organisations more accessible for young people especially those experiencing emotional health difficulties

Who wrote Through The Maze? Tros Gynnal in Wales and Advocacy in Somerset Big Lottery / W.A.G. funded to write guidance Based on work done in both urban and rural areas Client group : young people aged 6 – 19 years old Broad spectrum of emotional health issues Broad spectrum of advocacy issues Further detail in ‘Mapping The Maze’

What does it say? Policy context The Maze Model of Advocacy Developing a Service – ‘Top Tips’ Delivering a Service – ‘Top Tips’ Commissioning a Service Online support materials

Developing a Service – Top Tips 1.Have a clear and flexible vision 2.Plan for the active involvement of young people 3.Promotion, Promotion, Promotion 4.Set up an adult advisory group 5.Record all of your outcomes

Delivering a Service – Top Tips 6.Make it easy to get an advocate 7.Let young people define their emotional distress and issues themselves 8.Speedy response every time 9.Be prepared to challenge people’s views of young people, including your own 10.Clarify boundaries with significant adults

Some of the resources

Advocacy and Emotional Literacy – a case study Age at referral: 17 How long a client: 3.5 months Mental health / emotional difficulty: very lacking in confidence and self esteem. Found it difficult to speak at all to people that were not known to them. Yp has suffered extreme emotional abuse as a child. Issues: -Education -Lack of self confidence Outcomes: -Yp successfully applied for FE course so re-entered mainstream education -Yp’s support needs recognised and addressed by the college -Yp developed significantly more confidence in speaking to the advocate and to external agencies Summary: Young person happy with start of new college course and was coping well with both work and social aspect of college life. Young person had specifically not wanted to talk about emotional health issues but rather wanted advocate to support them to apply for college so they could ‘get on with their future’ rather than dwell on the past.

Interested to find out more? The Maze / Drysfa Project Tros Gynnal 12 North Road CARDIFF, CF10 3DY Tel: