POhWER - Homepage

Help POhWER continue to help others!
You are invited to enter the POhWER running phenomenon. We have 5 guaranteed entry places* up for grabs for the Silverstone half marathon on the 11th March 2012.
Annual Report 2010-11

POhWER's annual report for the year ending March 2011. Read about what POhWER has achieved during 2010-11 and the people that we have helped during this year.
Health and social care in Staffordshire - Survey
Staffordshire County Council is asking for views on the Government’s plans to change the way concerns about health and social care are handled.
Responding to the government's ideas about 'Duty of Candour' - Survey
The Government wants to make it the duty of providers of National Health Service care to be open and honest with patients, their families and carers, this is called a ‘duty of candour’.
Hertshelp Video
This video tells the stories of a few of the people we have helped so far.
NHS COMPLAINTS SERVICE SHOULD BE BETTER KNOWN
Responding to the government’s ideas about public services
The Government wants to change the way public services work. Public services include services like adult social care, healthcare, education, housing, benefits, child and family services, libraries and the police.
Government Minister praises POhWER
Paul Burstow MP, who is Minister for Care Services,
wrote to POhWER chief executive Valerie Harrison saying that the Government views the advocacy service that POhWER provides as very valuable. Read more here: MP praises POhWER
News Releases
1st August 2011 - POhWER Launches new services for Hertfordshire and Waltham Forest
POhWER- Diversity Champions!
POhWER is proud to announce that we have joined Stonewall's Diversity Champions Programme. We look forward to working with their excellent advisors and making sure we have the best possible practice in place
Easysearch & Easyfundraising
Easy ways to support POhWER – find out more!....
Using sign language to overcome frustration and improve care needs
POhWER has sponsored a number of their advocates to learn British Sign Language, which is enabling them to communicate directly with increasing numbers of deaf clients. Read Ahmed's story and how one of our advocates, Cara, used her newly learned skill to support him.
NHS complaints advocacy service extended
Recently Stevenage MP Stephen McPartland dropped in to update us on the feedback over 700 of you gave last autumn to the consultation on the NHS White Paper, Equity and Excellence – Liberating the NHS.
"We will if you will" - POhWER members have their say!
Our thanks to over 700 members who helped POhWER submit our response to the Governments consultation on its white paper on plans to change the NHS.
Partnership with POhWER

Commissioners may be interested in how they can develop affordable partnership working with POhWER. See POhWER's organisational profile.

Find out all the ways we can help.

If you have had a POhWER advocate working with you, tell us how we did.

What is Advocacy anyway??

Advocacy is about taking action to make sure people have the information they need to make the right choices for them, supporting people to say what they want, to secure their rights, take a full part in their communities and get the services and support they need. The Advocacy Charter explains the principles of advocacy and how you should expect an advocate to work with you

The Advocacy Charter (804 kb)

ICAS

A service for people who want support to make a complaint to the NHS.
Think Smart Think ICAS (130 kb)

IMCA

The Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy (IMCA) Service is available to those who meet the criteria as laid out in the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Click the link to find out more.

IMHA

The Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) Service is available to those who meet the criteria as laid out in the Mental Health Act. Click the link to find out more.

HertsHelp

HertsHelp is designed to give practical support, guidance and information to anyone living in Hertfordshire who has a question or faces a problem.

Do you feel threatened or at risk? Is someone abusing you?

We know that many of our clients are worried following the reports by the CQC about poor standards of care in hospitals for older people and the Panorama programme about the dreadful abuse of people with learning disabilities. We are very sorry for everyone affected by these issues and fully support the letter that British Institute of Learning Disabilities has written about the care of people with learning disabilities. It could equally apply to other vulnerable groups.

POhWER was set up by people with disabilities or who had experienced exclusion to help people make their voices heard. Service users continue to make up over half our Board. We now have over fifteen years of experience in supporting people to get the help and services they may need. If you feel vulnerable or at risk, you can talk to your advocate about your worries and he or she will know how to help you. If you want more information about Safeguarding in your area, you can call us on 0300 456 2370 or text pohwer to 81025 with your name and number - look here for other ways to Contact us.

You can also see and hear one of our Trustees, Judith, tell her story of how advocacy helped her when she was getting poor care and treatment. Follow this link to see Judith's experience Judith's story . Please do not suffer in silence. If you are worried or need help - just talk to us. We are here for you.