23/10/2014 - Permalink

Big contract won by local partnership Community Advice and Advocacy Network

Related topics: Community / Partner organisations

News from our partners Community Advice and Advocacy Network

A partnership of seven Shropshire-based organisations won the Shropshire Council contract for “Information, advice and advocacy services for adults”.

The organisations already have a good track record in meeting the needs of diverse communities and in promoting independence by making sure people have a choice, and had previously been delivering these services through contracts and grant funding in Shropshire.

The five-year contract started in October 2014 and is worth £1.6 million for the first three years of the contract.

The Community Advice and Advocacy Network (CAAN) was specifically set up to tender for this contract.  Our vision is to deliver a people-centred, community-focused and flexible service, effectively delivered by an established network of information, advice and advocacy providers, with a comprehensive track record in meeting the needs of diverse communities, ensuring client choice, promoting independence and achieving positive well-being outcomes.

Lee Chapman, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for adult services – transformation and safeguarding, said:

‘’We are delighted that the CAAN partnership has brought together the specialist areas of work of a number of highly-respected and trusted local information, advice and advocacy organisations.  The flexibility of approach being taken by CAAN will mean that people will have access to information, advice and advocacy in a number of different ways and in many different locations.  This work will support the council in meeting its duties under the new Care Act which comes into force in April 2015.’’

Jackie Jeffrey, Citizens Advice Shropshire CEO, said:

“We aim to provide a people-centred, community-focused and flexible service.  That means we put the people we help at the heart of what we do.”

Julie Mellor from Taking Part said:

“Part of the contract is the development of a new advice and advocacy strategy for Shropshire.  This includes innovations in the way we work.  For example, a uniform people-centred approach to service delivery, an agreed approach to diagnosis across the CAAN, with a seamless client journey across information, advice and advocacy, and supporting independence and the exercise of choice and control.’’

CAAN invites the public and media to the Shropshire VCSA Showcase 2014 at Shirehall, Shrewsbury, SY2 6ND on Tuesday 25 November 2014 from 10am to 2pm, where we will launch our new CAAN partnership.  There will be an opportunity to meet the different partners and be informed on how we are taking the work forward.

For more information contact Jackie Jeffrey, Citizens Advice Shropshire CEO, email dpm@shropshirecab.cabnet.org.uk.

Further information

The seven partners in CAAN are:

  • A4U is a disability advice centre providing free, confidential and impartial information, advice and advocacy on all aspects of disability, to people with disabilities, their families and carers as well as health and social care professionals.
  • Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin works with and for older people to improve the quality of later life.
  • Citizens Advice Shropshire aims to provide the advice people need for the problems they face and improve the policies and practices that affect people’s lives.
  • MAYSI is a project initiated by ‘The Strettons’ Mayfair Trust” to enable users of the service to retain their independence, with emphasis on supporting independence within an individual’s home.
  • Peer Counselling and Advocacy Service provides advocacy support to adults with any disability, impairment or over the age of 65; supporting those who have a problem and require help to speak up for them or provide support.
  • OSCA is a long-established charity recruiting, preparing and supporting volunteer citizen advocates in long-term advocacy partnerships with adults with learning disabilities.
  • Taking Part is an independent registered charity providing a range of services for people with learning difficulties throughout Shropshire, and Telford and Wrekin.

    • All CAAN partners have a long established history of partnership working, most recently through the Shropshire Partnership for Advice and Advocacy (SPAA). This two year project was funded by the Big Lottery’s Advice Transition Services Fund.  Within SPAA, 13 advice providers are working together, to be more efficient, more effective and more enterprising in order to thrive and secure their future sustainability.

    Citizens Advice Shropshire is the leading body for both CAAN and SPAA.

    The external launch of the Community Advice and Advocacy Network partnership is Tuesday 25 November 2014 10am – 2pm at Shirehall, Shrewsbury, SY2 6ND as part of the VCSA Shropshire Showcase 2014 event.

CAAN vision: Our vision is to provide a people-centred, community-focused and flexible service effectively delivered by an established network of information, advice and advocacy providers with a comprehensive track record in meeting the needs of diverse communities, ensuring client choice, promoting independence and achieving positive well-being outcomes in Shropshire.

CAAN mission: To provide access to appropriate advice and advocacy services which effectively meet the needs of people when they need it and to improve the policies and practices that affect people’s lives.

CAAN principles and values: We want to be a partnership of organisations that share, and are committed to, their values; where the client is at the centre of what we do, and we are respectful of each other, providing a supportive and inclusive culture.