The Maze Advocacy Project
A national young people’s mental health project
FIRST EVER GUIDE TO DEVELOPING
CHILDREN’S ADVOCACY SERVICES IS LAUNCHED

As a response to the increase in mental health problems among children and young people and the need for services that suit the lives of young people today, The Maze Advocacy Project has just launched Through the Maze: A guide to developing advocacy services for young people experiencing emotional or mental health issues.

Funded by the Big Lottery, Through the Maze is based on the findings of three years of service development and delivery in the rural and urban communities of Somerset and Cardiff. Its publication represents the fruits of a unique partnership between the mental health advocacy expertise of Advocacy in Somerset and the children’s rights expertise of Tros Gynnal.

The overall aim of Through the Maze is to inspire and guide the development of effective advocacy service provision for young people with emotional or mental health issues. Through the Maze is a handy 40-page guide which contains 10 elements of best practice, case studies and discussion articles around the therapeutic and emotional literacy benefits of advocacy. The guide is backed up by full online support materials at www.mazeadvocacy.net/ttm all designed to aid the process of developing similar services in other areas.

“The young people receiving their help have benefited hugely, not just with their immediate problems, but in the greater self-confidence with which they may tackle problems in the future. So impressed am I by the success of Maze, that I cannot now conceive of services for young people with mental health problems running efficiently without advocacy being part of the helping process.” Dr Mike Shooter CBE, Chair of Young Minds, Children in Wales and the Mental Health Foundation, Former President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists

“We hope that Through the Maze will drive the young people’s advocacy movement forward and extend access to services for increasing numbers of young people.” Joe Roberson, Project Leader, Maze