Central Bedfordshire

Central and East of England > Central Bedfordshire

POhWER has been delivering advocacy Central Bedfordshire since 2003 and has offered a full range of advocacy services since 2011.  The team is supported by about 30 skilled and knowledgeable volunteer citizen advocates.

Community engagement is high profile in Central Beds.  Voice groups meet regularly across Central Bedfordshire to talk about topical issues such as Hate Crime and keeping safe, as well as taking part in consultations for Central Bedfordshire.

We provide the following services in Central Bedfordshire:

• NHS Complaints Advocacy
• Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy (IMCA), including Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and Relevant Person's Paid Representative Services (RPPR)
• Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA)
• Community Advocacy
• Community Engagement

How do I get support from an advocate?

To make a referral to the advocacy services in Central Bedfordshire, you can download the forms below:

• NHS Complaints Advocacy referral form
• Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy (IMCA) referral form
• Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) referral form
• Community Advocacy (including the Care Act) referral form

If you are not sure whether you can get an advocate, or for more information, advice and support in your area, please contact us on 0300 456 2364 or email [email protected].

We have a dedicated email address for the deaf community in Bedford to use: [email protected] or you can contact us by text by sending the word ’pohwer’ with your name and number to 81025

With the introduction of General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), POhWER has reviewed the way we use and store personal information. For more information please check out our privacy policy.

POhWER now has an office in Dunstable. Our address is: The Disability Resource Centre, Poynters House, Poynters Road, Dunstable, LU5 4TP.

Local Resources

Download the Central Bedfordshire IMHA leaflet (pdf)

Download the Central Bedfordshire IMCA leaflet (pdf)

Download the Central Bedfordshire NHS Complaints leaflet (pdf)

Download the Central Bedfordshire Community Advocacy leaflet (pdf)

Download the Guide for Alerters by Bedford Borough Council (pdf)

Contact us