Resources Blogs We stand together as Advocacy, Information & Advice Charities calling on the Prime Minister and our government to protect the Human Rights Act On May 18th 2022, we wrote to the Prime Minister to raise our concerns about the proposed scrapping of the Human Rights Act, and the proposed introduction of the Bill of Rights. POhWER has collaborated with over 60 Advocacy, Information and Advice Charities to bring attention to the important rights and protections the Human Rights Act offers our collective beneficiaries to live as equal people, and to be treated with dignity. Our collation is growing every day, and in first two weeks of our campaign grew from 40 to 60 Charities lending their voice to the importance of protecting the Human Rights Act. Our letter to the Prime Minister can be read below in full. To have your Charity, Not for Profit, Social Enterprise or Organisation added to this letter digitally, be added to the mailing list for future campaign activity or for other queries relating to this letter please contact POhWER Chief Executive at [email protected] Find out other ways to get involved. Download this information in Easy Read Letter to the Prime Minister in full The Rt Hon Boris Johnson MPPrime Minister10 Downing Street,Westminster,LondonSW1A 2AA May 18, 2022 Dear Prime Minister, Human Rights Act & Proposed Bill of Rights We the undersigned represent Charities and organisations who have supported millions of people to have their rights upheld and voices heard through advocacy, information, and advice since the Human Rights Act was introduced. The UK has and continues to be a leader in the development and contributor of human rights law over the last hundred years. Since joining the European Convention on Human Rights (the Convention) we have been bound to comply with its provisions. The Human Rights Act brought rights home and created an important obligation for public authorities to comply with ECHR. The Human Rights Act commits public authorities to comply with the European Convention of Human Rights in their policies, procedures and decision making. As advocates we see the positive impact Human Rights Act has had on the people we support through our charitable work. Without the Human Rights Act, the modern advocacy profession might not exist with the same powerful impact or independent scrutiny. The Human Rights Act is at the epi-centre of a framework of rights and entitlements complemented by the Equality Act, Care Act, Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, Liberty Protection Safeguards, Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act, related legislation in the devolved nations and Safeguarding. Thanks to the Human Rights Act as advocates, we are able to independently challenge public authorities that support us in our everyday lives. We help people to live as equal people through the cases we manage to have their human rights upheld in public services. Advocacy is one of the many ways in which people can be supported and empowered to uphold their rights and entitlements, be provided with choices and options, and safeguarded from harm and abuse. An advocate can help a person to: speak up for themselves or give their views understand the process they are going through, their rights and what choices are available to them be part of an important decision which is being made about them prepare for and take part in meetings and tribunals raise queries or concerns access information in the format which is most suitable access services that can support them Advocates can also provide information and signpost people to other helpful services. Our intervention often means people do not need to access justice through the courts or legal pathway as our intervention empowers people and protects their human rights. The current laws protect everyone in the UK no matter who they are or what their own situation may be. The proposed reforms would significantly reduce the legal responsibilities the Government currently has towards us and diminish mechanisms for our collective Charity beneficiaries to hold public services accountable and to be treated as equal people. The proposed Bill of Rights would offer opt-outs to public authorities to pick and choose whose rights they supported and if/when they supported those rights. Many of the people we support are socially excluded, vulnerable and/or marginalised. To focus this consultation on just a few minor legal technicalities and procedural nuances is diminishing the wider role the HRA 1998 plays to support people in everyday life and enable them to live as dignified people. Without HRA 1998, there would be no clear rulebook to govern expectations of conduct when dealing with public services such as Statutory Bodies, Local Authority, Prisons, NHS, DWP, Immigration, Housing and Coroner Service. We believe the changes proposed are detrimental to our beneficiaries and would remove independent scrutiny of public services and the important role of advocacy. We are calling on a wider study and equality impact assessment to understand the realities on the wider UK population, requesting for a meeting to share case studies and evidence on how HRA benefits the people we support every day through public authority independent scrutiny and mitigates often wider escalations in the legal process. Scrapping HRA would be detrimental to our beneficiaries, public authorities and wreak havoc with framework of other intersecting rights laws and codes of practices. Our society remains unfair and unequal – the millions of people who sought support through our Charities should serve as significant reminder that the Human Rights Act 1998 and other protection laws are not currently being necessarily always upheld by local and central government bodies. Independent scrutiny, challenge, and freedom for people to empower themselves is a fundamental part of our society and democracy. Yours sincerely, Helen Moulinos, Chief Executive, POhWERJo Moore, CEO, Accommodation ConcernPeter Walsh, Chief Executive, Action against Medical Accidents (AvMA)Mr Abe Ncube, Advocacy 1st, Community ConnexJamie Renton, Chief Executive, Action Disability Kensington & ChelseaLeanne Hignett, Service Delivery Director, Advocacy FocusElssa Keegan, CEO, Advocacy MattersJudith Davey, Chief Executive Officer, The Advocacy Project Sabrina Solomon, Head of Service Delivery, The Advocacy Project Ian Maxey, Deputy Head of Service Delivery, The Advocacy ProjectNatasha Fox, CEO, Advocacy West Wales-Eiriolaeth Gorllewin CymruPhilip Bramson, Chief Executive, AdvonetEwan Roberts, Centre Manager, Asylum Link MerseysideSr Ruth Miller, Volunteer, Asylum Link MerseysideTheresa Mawson, Volunteer, Asylum Link MerseysideKevin Keech, Volunteer, Asylum Link MerseysideBridie Sharkey, Trustee, Asylum Link MerseysideKacey Jones, Volunteer, Asylum Link MerseysidePeter Simm, Volunteer, Asylum Link MerseysideGed Edwards, Volunteer, Asylum Link MerseysideGareth Hankinson, Staff, Asylum Link MerseysideSteve Hawkins, Trustee, Asylum Link MerseysideMike Storry, Volunteer, Asylum Link MerseysideDr Paula Grey, Trustee, Asylum Link MerseysideShahzad Wilson Mukerjee, Volunteer, Asylum Link MerseysideHilary Hopkin, Volunteer, Asylum Link MerseysideJannatul Chowdhury, Staff, Asylum Link MerseysideChris Vick, Service Director, Advocacy Services for North East Wales (ASNEW)Emily Barratt, Deputy Director, Brighton and Hove Speak OutChris Mounsher, Advocate, Brighton and Hove Speak OutEmma Lopez, Engagement officer, Brighton and Hove Speak OutJeanette Goodman, Advocacy Team Leader, Brighton and Hove Speak OutSarah Coombes, Volunteer Coordinator, Brighton and Hove Speak OutSanchita Hosali, CEO, British Institute of Human RightsPhilip Kerr, Carers FederationAngus Claydon, Director of Operations, The Care ForumKevin Peltonen-Messenger, CEO, The Care ForumMichèle Stokes, Chief Executive Officer, Carers in HertfordshireRoma Mills, Policy and Engagement Manager, Carers in HertfordshireColin Ling CEO, Chinese WellbeingDi Burbidge Service Development Manager, Chinese WellbeingJack Davey, Advice Service Lead, CHAS BristolAlice Tibbert, Director, CHAS BristolJoanna Cain, Citizens Advice WestminsterSuzi Henderson, CEO, Cloverleaf AdvocacyCherry Pedler, Manager, Community Support Network South London (CSN) Garrick Prayogg, Project Manager, Cultural Diversity NetworkMaria Dolly Galvis Zapata, Chief Executive Officer, The Elfrida Society Ali F. Jabeen, Operations Manager, Specialist Advocacy Services for Parents with Learning Disabilities and/or Difficulties, The Elfrida SocietyDeborah Kober Specialist Advocates for Adults and Parents with Learning Disabilities and/or Learning Difficulties, The Elfrida SocietyJanay Crooks, Specialist Advocates for Adults and Parents with Learning Disabilities and/or Learning Difficulties, The Elfrida SocietyNikki Chivers, Group Facilitator for Adults with Learning Disabilities, The Elfrida SocietyDiana Evans, Blackpool Advocacy Hub Manager, Empowerment Lynne Stafford, Chief Executive, GaddumBen Whalley, Head of Operations, GaddumBenn Keaveney, CEO, Hammersmith, Fulham, Ealing & Hounslow MindArti Modhwadia, Director of Adult and Transition Services and Safeguarding Adult's Lead, Hammersmith, Fulham, Ealing & Hounslow MindJanet Cullingford, Head of Services, ICANNCaroline Ridley CEO, Impact InitiativesLouise Peim Operations and Contracts Manager, Impact InitiativesSam Grant, Head of Policy and Campaigns, LibertyKaty Porter, CEO, Manor Gardens Welfare TrustSaiqa Sahotra Community Advocate, Mary Seacole HouseAlex Coombes Specialist Advocate, Mary Seacole HouseBen Allen Community Advocate, Mary Seacole HouseMiatta Mac-Boimah Outreach Worker, Mary Seacole HouseSimon Torkington Advocacy and Training Manager, Mary Seacole HouseDr Melvin Bradley, CEO, MhISTGillian Unsworth, CEO, Mind in Brighton and HoveAlysia Hurrell, Business Development Manager, Mind in HaringeyDeborah Kind, Head of Business Development, Mind in HaringeyAna Amorim, Community Care Coordinator, Mind in HaringeyLynette Charles, CEO and Chair of Mind in London, Mind in HaringeyFiona Atkins, Wellbeing Advocacy Project Worker, Mind in HaringeySharn Tomlinson, Chief Executive Officer, Mind in Mid Herts Michelle Kabia, CEO, Mind in Tower Hamlets and NewhamFiona Scaife, Operational Director for Advocacy Services, Mind in Tower Hamlets and NewhamShelu Miah, Operations Director, Mind in Tower Hamlets and NewhamRita Hirani, CEO MindOut.Mandy Bigden-Slack, Advocacy Service Manager, MindOut Teresa Jennings, Chief Executive, n-compassGail Petty, Advocacy Programme Lead, National Development Team for Inclusion Rita Waters, Group Chief Executive, NYAS (National Youth Advocacy Service)Kate Harvey CEO, Onside AdvocacySuzanne Watterson Advocacy Services Manager, Onside AdvocacyJanine Daniels- Stretch Advocacy Services Manager, Onside AdvocacyTony Kildare, Board Chair of Trustees, POhWERElyzabeth Hawkes, Deputy Chief Executive, POhWERFiona McArthur-Worbey, Director of Fundraising & Engagement, POhWERSandra Black, Associate Director, POhWERCaroline Caesar Caston, Associate Director, POhWERMartin Humes, Associate Director, POhWERJayne Degiorgio, Head of Service London and South East, POhWERRose Humphries, Head of Service Central, Northeast & Scotland, POhWERAnna Hansell, Head of Service South West and Wales, POhWERHelen Wildbore, Director, Relatives & Residents AssociationOlivia Guerini, Suicide Support Therapist, Rethink Mental IllnessGary Underhill, SpearmanArran Evans, Director, Sussex Interpreting ServicesVikki Holloway, Chief Executive, SWAN, Southwest Advocacy NetworkEmma Edwards, Director of Operations & Quality, Together Tracy Moss, Operations and Development Manager, Together Penelope Gibbs, Director, Transform JusticeLeslie Billy, Chief Executive, ViewpointSharon Cullerton, Director, Vital ProjectsSara Firth, Chairperson, Vital ProjectsJonathan Senker, Chief Executive, VoiceAbilityPatricia Curran, Advocacy Service Manager, York Advocacy Hub Manage Cookie Preferences