Support to the whole community to stay healthy and independent.
Through its range of advocacy services POhWER has the ability to work with the most hard to reach people in society.
We work not only with individuals but with groups of services users through our empowerment and service user groups. POhWER supports group of service users through its empowerment service to access information and training to allow them to live safe independent lives and to be able to have a say and influence about what happens in their lives.
Our Valuing People Working Group works with people with learning disabilities. We are currently reviewing the way the group works with its members and with people with learning disabilities from all over Hertfordshire. We are seeking to involve many more people and work on an outreach basis, going out to them.
The aim of the group is to support people with learning disabilities with their engagement with all services including adult social services and those provided by the NHS, ensuring there is equal access for all.
Our empowerment groups help identify what help and support people need and arrange for group sessions to take place on issues such as personal budgets, money management, safety in the home, employment , volunteering and a wide range of other issues.
Our service user groups have developed peer support networks within BME advocacy and facilitated service user consultation to national strategy and polices.
Through advice, guidance and advocacy, POhWER has empowered clients to have a say and influence what happens to them, promote social inclusion and independence to the most vulnerable and socially isolated people in society.
One of POhWER’s most recent achievements was to work with 700 of the most disadvantaged and vulnerable people in our society in formulating their response the goivernment’s health White Paper, Equity and excellence: Liberating the NHS. The ideas of these people were presented to the Secretary of State for Health, Andrew Lansley, and he has indicated that they will be taken into account in formulating the resulting policy.
