The Consultation & Advocacy Promotion Service
About Us
CAPS is an INDEPENDENT ADVOCACY ORGANISATION for people who use, or have used mental health services.
CAPS works with mental health service users as individuals or as members of a group to set their own agenda, to find a stronger voice, to get their point across, and influence decisions which affect their lives.
CAPS is set up so that the organisation and its advocates are as free as possible from interests that might conflict with the interests of the people we support. CAPS provides collective and individual advocacy.
Collective Advocacy is about groups of individuals with a common cause who come together to raise awareness, campaign and influence service planning and provision.
Individual Advocacy is about a person having an advocate to help them express their views and have more influence over decisions being made about their lives.
CAPS does this by:
- developing and supporting user groups;
- encouraging a spirit of partnership between service users and the people who plan, pay for and provide those services;
- publishing service user views on mental health issues;
- involving service users in the development of services;
- making service users aware of new kinds of services and options that are available to them;
- providing advocates to work with individuals;
- recruiting, training and supporting volunteer advocates;
- promoting the principles of advocacy.
Funding
CAPS is funded by City of Edinburgh, East Lothian & Midlothian Councils, the Scottish Executive, NHS Lothian, and East Lothian Community Health Partnership.
CAPS is a Scottish Charity, Number SCO21772