Scottish Hearing Voices National Office and Support Service Consultation: Background papers
Page updated 10/07/2008
Welcome to our consultation
We are planning to set up a national office to support the development of hearing voices groups throughout Scotland and we have written this proposal about what the office would do.
We would like to hear what voice hearers from Scotland think about our ideas. We know many voice hearers feel isolated and unsupported. We would therefore encourage voice hearers to complete the questionnaire, read our proposals and become members of our network. No one needs to feel alone in their experience of voice hearing. It's good to talk!
We would also like to hear from everyone who is concerned about people who hear voices.
If you make a response to our consultation we would be grateful if you would let us know whether you hear voices or if you know or work with someone who hears voices and whereabouts you are from (you don´t need to be specific eg. you can just tell use what what region or district).
We have put together a questionnaire for people who hear voices asking what kinds of support you would like to see us provide. You can complete it here.
There is also a "Hearing Voices Groups" questionnaire for self help groups and networks asking what kinds of support you would like to see us provide. You can complete it here.
If you would prefer to see a hard copy of the consultation document you can download it here.
You can also let us know your views by going to the "Have your say" section at the bottom of the page or by clicking here
Note: We have provided some information about the consultation process, other planning methods we are using and also information about the Scottish Hearing Voices Network and INTERVOICE here.
If you would like to become a member of the Scottish Hearing Voices Network please download the application form here.
Read our press release here
Print the "Complete the Questionnaire" poster here and display it for us.
Read the letter to supporting organisations here
We would like to give a big thank you to Awards For All in Scotland for their generous support in funding this consultation exercise and development project.
In this document we have provided some background information about the consultation process, other planning methods we are using and information about the Scottish Hearing Voices Network and INTERVOICE.
If you would prefer to see a hard copy of the consultation background paper you can download it here
You can also let us know your views by going to the "Have your say" section at the bottom of the page or by clicking here
1. The Consultation Process
1.1 The Scottish Network has received funding from the Awards For All Fund to help it put together a plan for the further development of hearing voices work in Scotland. This plan is to be developed by the SHVN with the on-going support of Paul Baker, the INTERVOICE Coordinator.
The Scottish Hearing Voices Network are using the services of Paul Baker to facilitate the process of writing and consulting people who hear voices about the plan.
1.2 How we will consult people about our plans
2. 1 As well as the consultation process outlined here there will be a planning process that will have the following components:
(i) A mapping exercise:
2.2 This task will help determine the level of need within Scotland for Voice hearing work, to establish the priorities for such work and to audit the level of support available.
(ii)An evaluation of the current status of the Scottish Hearing Voices Network
Including the steering group and other support functions carried out by the Network. This would include membership issues, formal status, current funding and other forms of support.This task will help identify the organisational and structural needs of the organisation and work needed to ensure it is prepared for the work required in carrying out the proposed Action Plan
(iii)Determine the availability of resources to fund and support a national office and workers to provide support services to an emergent national network of voice hearing initiatives.
(iv) Establish a 3 year work programme for the further development of the SHVN that will ensure the SHVN will be an effective:
2.3 It is critical to the success of this exercise that voice hearers are in control of the processes, including this consultation.
This will include:
2.4 This approach considers people who hear voices as the experts by experience and the people who work with them as experts by profession. Value is placed on the personal involvement of both voice-hearers and professionals. Seeing each other first as people, secondly as allies, and thirdly, as all having different but mutually valuable expertise to offer.
2.5 The exercise will adopt participatory approaches to development, based on principles of empowerment and the ownership of the development process. It will focus on how to engage people as citizens (rather than clients) in development, and how to make the resulting services more effective and responsive.
2.6 The Business Plan will be drawn up using community development principles as follows:
The appreciation and mobilisation of individual and community talents, skills and assets (rather than focusing on problems and needs)
It will be a community-driven development rather than developments driven by external agencies
2.7 We will utilise the internet to complement meetings and written reports.
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3. Timetable
The work started with a visioning meeting with members of the SHVN and will be followed up by an action research programme that will lead to the development of an Action Plan. This Plan will then be subject to discussion, amendment and adoption by the SHVN.
Timetable dates:
15th and 16th March 2008
Meetings with the SHVN steering group and members of the Dundee HVN and Aberdeen HVN to draw up ideas and to set the process in motion
31st March 2008
Paul writes up and sends out initial proposal as agreed at the meeting to the steering group members for agreement.
1st July 2008
The Outline proposal is sent out widely, ideally we would like to involve about 300 people.
It will be available in the following formats:
The document will be available as a paper document and sent to those who wish to see a hard copy.
It will be available as a word document and a pdf that can be sent as an attachment by email
A web page will be set up which will allow people to read the document and comment on-line and to see how the document is progressing>/p>
Paul will be available to discuss the document by email, instant chat and by phone and/or Skype*
Paul will also meet with groups as required:
Meeting in September (date to be decided)
The business plan will be adopted and launched at a special meeting of the SHVN
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4.1 The Scottish Hearing Voices Network
The Scottish Hearing Voices Network was established in April 2001, by members of Hearing Voices groups throughout Scotland.
The Network aims to:
4.2 INTERVOICE
The Scottish Network is a member of INTERVOICE, the International Network for training, education and research into Hearing Voices and hosted the 2006 INTERVOICE seminar in Dundee.
INTERVOICE is an international support group for hearing voices initiatives. There are currently 19 active national organisations in membership. INTERVOICE aims to:
4.3 SHVN meeting with Paul Baker on 15 and 16 March 2008
Present: Ann, Bill, Christine, Ian, Gavin, Mary, Pat, Richard and Paul
The meeting with Paul were very productive and he went away to produce a draft proposal for the objective of producing a business plan to enable SHVN to apply for funding for a national office and workers for the network. He will be sending this out to us shortly for our comments.
Paul had good ideas re use of the internet in addition to other methods of contacting individual voice hearers and groups around the country. The idea would be to use Skype to link people and to set up a web page to let people see the progress of the writing of the plan.
Following contact through Skype, e-mails, letter, texting and phone calls, Paul will be better placed to best organise visits to meet groups.
The initial draft proposal will include the following ideas re what is needed from the SHVN and these will be amended and added to as the process goes on.
The meeting on the 16th with members of the HVN-D management committee went well and they were very positive re the development of SHVN. We will continue to work closely with them to ensure their needs from SHVN are met and that we are able to start supporting them rather than their continued of us. For example, they will additional funds through rent payments.
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