POhWER’s Impact Report for 2024-2025 shows the vital role advocacy plays in supporting people to feel safe and ensuring their concerns are heard and rights upheld.

The report illustrates the impact of POhWER’s charitable work for the year from April 2024 to March 2025. In total POhWER supported 45,824 people through its advocacy services. POhWER’s services support a diverse range of people who, because of disability, illness, social exclusion, and other challenges, find it difficult to express their views or get the support they need.

Last year more than 400 independent safeguarding concerns and 762 safeguarding alerts were raised by POhWER’s independent advocates to protect the charity’s clients and prevent neglect, harm, and abuse. Without the support of independent advocates, the concerns would never have come to light.

The report shows that POhWER’s independent advocates observed 132 instances where they had safeguarding concerns. A further 301 instances were disclosed by beneficiaries able to share their concerns with a trusted independent advocate without fear of reprisal. 

POhWER uses the information that its advocates and advisors record on safeguarding concerns to identify and examine the different types of harm and abuse its clients are subject to and the most appropriate help available to them. 

Unlike local authorities, POhWER records instances of suicidal thoughts and self-harming as safeguarding concerns rather than mental health concerns. By recording the instances under its safeguarding banner, POhWER supports people to engage with services that can help them. Advocates then follow up with clients to support them to access services that can assist them and promote improved well-being.

Support from advocates can even continue following a person’s death. POhWER’s advocates give evidence to coroners’ enquiries and input into serious incident or safeguarding adult reports where they have raised safeguarding concerns relating to the person prior to their death. Concerns are often raised in response to a lack of adequate provision following a person’s discharge from a mental health setting.

Among the people POhWER supported last year was John*, a young man with significant mental health challenges who had periods of detention under the Mental Health Act throughout his life.

During his last detention in hospital, his independent mental health advocate (IMHA) raised several safeguarding concerns due to his disclosures and behaviours. John had spoken about his fear of discharge and his suicidal thoughts about “being out.”

Sadly, in John’s case raising the safeguarding concerns did not have the positive outcome hoped for. A few days after his discharge, John was found severely injured on a railway line. He later sadly died in hospital from his injuries.

The local authority initiated an Independent Adult Safeguarding Review, and POhWER provided evidence to ensure that John’s voice continues to be heard, even after his death. POhWER will also provide evidence at the inquest into his death. Cases like John’s reinforce the charity’s determination to continue to raise concerns to prevent harm and support people to live a life free from harm and abuse and safe.

To ensure there is adequate provision for people like John discharging from mental health settings, POhWER provides one-to-one advocacy support through the Mental Health Discharge Support service.

The service supports users of Gloucestershire mental health services and their carers through the discharge process. Last year 113 people were supported by the service and able to access appropriate support in the community to prevent readmission.

The 2024-2025 Impact Report highlighted that:

• 45,824 people were supported through POhWER’s advocacy services
• 23,678 new people were supported
• 75,698 issues were supported
• 60,605 new issues were supported
• 356,699 contacts were handled by POhWER’s Help Hub
• 762 safeguarding alerts were made by POhWER advocates and advisors

Elyzabeth Hawkes, POhWER’s Deputy Chief Executive and Designated Safeguarding Lead, said: “Safeguarding is paramount to protecting people’s human right. It is vitally important that individuals’ rights are protected, their voices are heard, and they can access support available and be involved in decisions about their lives. POhWER is committed to providing advocacy, information and advice services that support this aim.”

Read POhWER’s 2024-2025 Impact Report.

*Details of this case have been changed to provide anonymity