Through The Maze
A guide to developing advocacy for young
people experiencing emotional or mental
health issues
What is ‘Through The Maze’?
A guide to setting up accessible and effective
advocacy services for young people
experiencing emotional health issues
Who is it for?
For advocacy providers, developers and
commissioners, or other services aiming to
make their organisations more accessible for
young people especially those experiencing
emotional health difficulties
Who wrote Through The Maze?
• Tros Gynnal in Wales and Advocacy in Somerset
• Big Lottery / W.A.G. funded to write guidance
• Based on work done in both urban and rural areas
• Client group : young people aged 6 – 19 years old
• Broad spectrum of emotional health issues
• Broad spectrum of advocacy issues
• Further detail in ‘Mapping The Maze’
What does it say?
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Policy context
The Maze Model of Advocacy
Developing a Service – ‘Top Tips’
Delivering a Service – ‘Top Tips’
Commissioning a Service
Online support materials
Developing a Service – Top Tips
1. Have a clear and flexible vision
2. Plan for the active involvement of young people
3. Promotion, Promotion, Promotion
4. Set up an adult advisory group
5. Record all of your outcomes
Delivering a Service – Top Tips
6. Make it easy to get an advocate
7. Let young people define their emotional
distress and issues themselves
8. Speedy response every time
9. Be prepared to challenge people’s views of
young people, including your own
10. Clarify boundaries with significant adults
Some of the resources
www.mazeadvocacy.net
Advocacy and Emotional Literacy – a case
study
Age at referral: 17
How long a client: 3.5 months
Mental health / emotional difficulty: very lacking in confidence and self
esteem. Found it difficult to speak at all to people that were not known to
them. Yp has suffered extreme emotional abuse as a child.
Issues:
Education
Lack of self confidence
Outcomes:
Yp successfully applied for FE course so re-entered mainstream
education
Yp’s support needs recognised and addressed by the college
Yp developed significantly more confidence in speaking to the
advocate and to external agencies
Summary:
Young person happy with start of new college course and was coping well
with both work and social aspect of college life. Young person had
specifically not wanted to talk about emotional health issues but rather
wanted advocate to support them to apply for college so they could ‘get
on with their future’ rather than dwell on the past.
Interested to find out more?
The Maze / Drysfa Project
Tros Gynnal
12 North Road
CARDIFF, CF10 3DY
Tel: 02920 37 44 79
E-mail: [email protected]
www.trosgynnal.org.uk