Organisation: POhWER
POhWER
POhWER is a charity and membership organisation who provide information, advice, support and advocacy to people who experience disability, vulnerability, distress and social exclusion.
Our services are designed by service users for service users
Pathways Covered
Overview
POhWER is a charity and membership organisation. We provide information, advice, support and advocacy to people who experience disability, vulnerability, distress and social exclusion.
POhWER was set up in 1996 and was developed by service users who, tired of others making assumptions about their capabilities and views, wanted equal access to information and a voice of their own.
Reflecting our origins, the majority of our Board are people who fall into the terms of the Equality Act and our membership is largely drawn from people who have used our services.
Our services are designed by service users for service users. Last year we provided direct advocacy to over 19,000 people and 35,000 downloaded information from our website. POhWER is one of the largest providers of advocacy in the UK.
What we do
We regularly work with:
- People who feel they have been let down by the NHS and want to make a complaint,
- Older people,
- People with mental health issues,
- People with sensory impairment,
- People with physical disabilities,
- People with learning disabilities,
- Children and young people,
- People with autism,
- People whose first language is not English,
- People who have experienced discrimination or exclusion.
We aim to enable people to have information, choice and control over decisions that affect their lives, no matter what their needs.
How to access
Telephone - 0300 456 2370 (charged at local rate)
Email - pohwer@pohwer.net
Skype - pohwer.advocacy
8am to 6pm Monday to Friday
Fax - 0300 456 2365
Overview
POhWER is a charity and membership organisation. We provide information, advice, support and advocacy to people who experience disability, vulnerability, distress and social exclusion.
POhWER was set up in 1996 and was developed by service users who, tired of others making assumptions about their capabilities and views, wanted equal access to information and a voice of their own.
Reflecting our origins, the majority of our Board are people who fall into the terms of the Equality Act and our membership is largely drawn from people who have used our services.
Our services are designed by service users for service users. Last year we provided direct advocacy to over 19,000 people and 35,000 downloaded information from our website. POhWER is one of the largest providers of advocacy in the UK.
What we do
POhWER delivers information, advice, support and advocacy services throughout England. We aim to support people who face difficult issues and want to make their voice heard.
We regularly work with:
- People who feel they have been let down by the NHS and want to make a complaint,
- Older people,
- People with mental health issues,
- People with sensory impairment,
- People with physical disabilities,
- People with learning disabilities,
- Children and young people,
- People with autism,
- People who have experienced discrimination or exclusion.
All POhWER's services are free, independent and confidential.
Advocacy plays a big part in the services we provide. Advocacy is about:
- Ensuring people have the information they need to make the right choices for them,
- Supporting people to speak up and be heard,
- Helping people to secure their rights, and the services and support they need,
- Enabling people to play a full part in their communities.
An advocate will listen to you, help you talk to people and ask them questions, go to meetings with you, help you understand information given to you, and your rights, make telephone calls for you and write letters with you.
An advocate will not tell you what to do, talk to people you don't want them to talk to or keep information from you.
POhWER advocates are highly trained and independent.
How to access
Telephone - 0300 456 2370 (charged at local rate)
Text - send the word 'pohwer' with your name and number to 81025
Email - pohwer@pohwer.net
Skype - pohwer.advocacy
8am to 6pm Monday to Friday
Fax - 0300 456 2365
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Pohwer - PO Box 14043, Birmingham, B6 9BL - 0300 456 2370 (charged at local rate)