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Welcome to the CAPS Independent Advocacy newsletter! We hope you're enjoying the start of spring with lighter nights!
March 2024
Open Day at Norton Park!
CAPS' open day is a chance for professionals and volunteers in the third sector to learn more about Independent Advocacy, meet our advocacy workers, find out more about the projects we facilitate and how to support people to access Independent Advocacy.

Date and Time: 22nd April, 11am to 4pm
Place: Norton Park Business Centre 57 Albion Rd, Edinburgh EH7 5QY. We don’t need people to register and welcome you to stop by anytime from 11am to 3pm, but if you are able to RSVP to help give us an idea of numbers please email alex@capsadvocacy.org.

Snacks and refreshments will be provided, we're in a 2nd floor office but there is a lift available. If you operate advocacy services in Edinburgh or the Lothians and would like to come along and share information about your services with other professionals, or provide us with information to distribute, please email alex@capsadvocacy.org.
A photo of the front of Norton Park
Out of Sight Out of Mind Planning Group announce their Call for Art! 
People who have or have had mental health issues are invited to submit an artwork to the 12th Out of Sight Out of Mind exhibition which will be held in October 2024 at Summerhall in Edinburgh. 

Artworks can be in any media and on any topic. Apply for a grant for materials costs.
Materials Grants Application closing date: 12pm on Monday 20 May 2024
Artwork Submissions closing date: 12pm Monday 8 July 2024
Visit the website for more information, to download forms and see previous exhibitions: https://www.outofsightoutofmind.scot

To speak to someone about taking part or for paper/email copies of the forms, get in touch. 
Email: exhibition@capsadvocacy.org        
Phone: Leave a message on 07989 402634
A painting of a swan swimming on multicoloured water against a multicoloured background
Painting by Gillian Lambie
Queery
We’d like to thank everyone who attended Queery last month and helped to make it a wonderful day of mental health and queer activism! The event was organised by the LGBTQIA+ Collective Advocacy group at CAPS. Here’s a few pics from the day. Keep a look out for more news from the group.
post it note with the words 'social class divide in Edinburgh'
three people in a discussion
a person sitting behind a desk with badges, pens paper etc
A post it note with the words 'crisis time not making an appointment = discharge
Oor Mad History
The Oor Mad History group has been very busy developing a new community workshop based around experiences of the biomedical model in mental health services. The biomedical model works from the assumption that mental health issues are caused by biological issues with the brain and emphasises pharmaceutical treatment.

This will be an interactive workshop which will include discussion questions, research that the group has done and personal stories. They are holding a tester session in April but hope to make the workshop public from May. If you would like more information or to register your interest in booking a spot ahead of time, please get in touch with Azra at azra@capsadvocacy.org
A handwritten letter and painting from the Lothian Health Services Archive
Image courtesy of the Lothian Health Services Archive.
LGBTQIA+ Individual Advocacy service expansion
CAPS is delighted to announce that we can now provide Individual Advocacy to people who identify as LGBTQIA+ in East Lothian. This complements our LGBTQIA+ Individual Advocacy service that has been offered in Midlothian for the last year, which will continue. The service across East Lothian and Midlothian will provide Individual Advocacy workers to support you to say how you feel and what you want to happen, and help you to have a stronger voice with other services. You do not need to have mental health issues to take advantage of this service. We can help you in many different situations from gender identity clinic appointments to meetings about your education, we’ll be by your side helping you to be heard. Find out more.
Collective Advocacy group to meet with Scotland's housing minister
Lothian Voices Collective Advocacy group and members of The People's Conference are pleased to report that they will be meeting in-person with Housing Minister Paul McLennan in May to discuss the housing crisis in Lothian and especially its impact on people's mental health. The group are currently meeting to plan what they want to discuss in the meeting and what questions they intend to ask the minister. 
Park Cottage consultation
Park Cottage is a community based mental health rehabilitation service for people with complex mental health needs. CAPS was recently asked to provide an independent consultation on residents’ experiences at Park Cottage. A member of the Lothian Voices Collective Advocacy group, Andrew, engaged in conversations with the residents. It was important that a group member with his own experience of mental health issues was able to carry out the research. Here’s what Andrew had to say: “I could really recognise myself, but a long time ago and it felt really important to be able to contribute, and offer a really authentic opportunity to talk to someone that had been somewhere like they had and that felt so hopeful!”
A Local Information System for Scotland
All of CAPS’ services can now be found on ALISS, a Local Information System for Scotland. ALISS lists health and wellbeing services and activities all over Scotland in one place. It’s easy to search to find help with many different issues and for many different groups of people. Give it a try! www.aliss.org
Very best wishes from all at CAPS!
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CAPS Independent Advocacy is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation Scottish Charity number: SC021772