Welcome
May 2023
Welcome to the CAPS Independent Advocacy newsletter! 
Insights into minority ethnic mental health
Mohasin Ahmed, who facilitates the Minority Ethnic collective advocacy group at CAPS, reflects on the group’s experience-led workshop series Insights into Minority Ethnic Mental Health. She looks at the "challenges that we face as people from Minority Ethnic communities related to mental health and trying to access services outside of our cultural experiences". Read her blog.
Experiences of psychosis zines
The Experiences of Psychosis collective advocacy group recently had a zine making session to create small booklets about their lived experience. The group hope to use the zines in their workshops to encourage conversation around the experience of psychosis. You can see just one of their creations below.
Lothian Voices respond to proposals for mental health provision
Members of the Lothian Voices collective advocacy group have responded to two consultations on mental health provision. One of their main concerns was around implementation. The group felt that although the plans sounded good, there was some scepticism that they would be implemented fully. The group also explained that it was important for advocacy to be independent. The advocacy organisation should be free to only represent the views of the advocacy partner/s. They had a number of further recommendations. Read the full article.
It could be any of us at any time

In this interview, CAPS’ Individual Advocacy Manager, Kyna, and Education as Advocacy Manager, Ele, discuss what motivates them as Independent Advocacy workers. They share why they think Independent Advocacy is so important to people in Scotland and how they feel about the recent Independent Advocacy awareness week. Read the full interview.
A conversation with Tamzin
“CAPS is very much about you and about your volunteering experience. It’s a lot more relaxed and less scary than some other volunteering things I’ve seen. It’s easy to get involved with, it’s also not threatening”.

In this conversation Tamzin tells us about her experience of being part of the Minority Ethnic collective advocacy group at CAPS. Read the full conversation.
Learn about psychosis from people who have experienced it
Register now for a two-hour workshop that is facilitated by people with lived experience of psychosis. We will be offering perspectives about what psychosis is like from the inside and inviting responses. The workshop will take place in-person on 21st of June, 2pm to 4pm in Norton Park Conference Centre Edinburgh.

To attend please contact Molly at molly@capsadvocacy.org or 07989402612 briefly stating why you are interested in attending. Find out more about the event.
Take part in the 11th Out Of Sight Out Of Mind exhibition!
Out of Sight Out of Mind exhibition is organised by and for people with experience of mental health issues. It will take place in October 2023, at Summerhall in Edinburgh. Anyone who has their own lived experience of mental health issues can submit their artwork, and there are small materials grants available. The exhibition is also organised by a Planning Group of people with experience of mental health issues, and the group welcomes new members joining.

Small Materials Grants Application closing date: 12pm Monday 19 June 2023
Artwork Submissions closing date: 12pm Monday 10 July 2023

Get in touch or check the website for more information and to download the forms.   

Contact: Pam at CAPS Independent Advocacy. Email: exhibition@capsadvocacy.org Phone: Leave a message on 07989 402 634
Oor mad history

This month the Oor Mad History collective advocacy group at CAPS will be contributing to a Queen Margaret University conference titled Shaking the Archive – Reconsidering the Role of Archives in Contemporary Society. Oor Mad History will be presenting their community archive on the first day of the conference, 23rdJune.

Collective advocacy works to bring people together with similar issues to raise awareness and campaign for change. In building an archive of how mental health services and attitudes in Lothian have developed and changed, and linking this with the voices of the people who have their own lived experience, the group have created a unique way to understand our history and share that understanding.

The group is excited to be able to share our work and give the attendees an introduction to using archiving as advocacy!
New projects coming soon

CAPS' new collective advocacy project for veterans will be facilitated by a new worker, Jessica Stubbs, who will engage veterans in a Veterans Advisory Group. This collective advocacy group will advise The Scottish Veterans’ Wellbeing Alliance (SVWA). The SVWA is an initiative that will provide a range of services and support to veterans and their families. The collective advocacy project is for veterans in any part of Scotland. Collective advocacy is about a group of people with similar experiences getting together to raise issues and make changes. Jessica can be contacted at jessica@capsadvocacy.org.

CAPS is also setting up a new individual advocacy project specifically for people who identify as LGBTQIA+ and who live in Midlothian. Individual advocacy is provided one-to-one by advocacy workers. Advocacy workers can assist people to express their own views and wishes. They may support people to prepare for and attend meetings and have a say in decisions that affect them. They may help you get information you need to help you make your own choices and understand your options. To enquire about individual advocacy please phone 0131 273 5118 or email: advocate@capsadvocacy.org 

Look out for further details about these new projects coming soon.
Who's who
We recently welcomed a number of new staff members. Judith Stirling joined in April as Personnel & Administration Officer. Azra Khan and Jessica Stubbs joined the staff team this month. Jessica will be facilitating our new collective advocacy work with veterans and Azra will be working with collective advocacy participants in East Lothian and Midlothian.

You can find profiles of all the staff on our website here.
Job vacancies at CAPS
Individual Advocacy Worker (Drug & Alcohol) closing date: 30th May at 12 noon
21 hours per week (3 days x 7 hours, Monday – Wednesday), Salary: £25,778 – £28,533 per annum FTE.
Location: East Lothian and Midlothian with occasional work in Edinburgh
This is a great opportunity to join CAPS’ friendly, supportive Individual Advocacy team to provide individual advocacy to adults who are affected by drugs or alcohol in East Lothian and Midlothian.

Collective Advocacy Workers closing date: 5th June at 12 noon
24 hours a week, Salary: £25,778 – £28,533 per annum FTE.
Location: Edinburgh
CAPS is looking for two new Collective Advocacy workers to focus on the views and wishes of people with mental health issues living in Edinburgh.
The role is to ensure people’s voices are heard by decision-makers locally and invite people to draw on their experiences to bring about change, such as improving mental health services.
Very best wishes from all at CAPS!
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CAPS Independent Advocacy is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation Scottish Charity number: SC021772