About HARG

Hampshire Advocacy schemes have been meeting together over many years. In 1994, they formed the Wessex Advocacy Consortium which brought together advocacy schemes across Hampshire, Dorset, Berkshire, Wiltshire and West Sussex. It aimed to promote advocacy and the development of quality advocacy work, and support advocacy schemes and their workers, many of whom worked alone.

In recent years, the advocacy schemes in Hampshire joined together as the Hampshire Advocacy Reference Group – HARG. The purpose was to promote advocacy within the wider county of Hampshire, provide mutual support to local advocacy schemes and to engage in dialogue with al the local statutory bodies.

In 1999, HARG was awarded funding by Hampshire County Council, Social Services, to carry out an audit of advocacy provision and compile a report on the future options for advocacy. This work was published in 2000 in a document entitled “Working with Diversity”.

Subsequent discussions with Hampshire County Council have resulted in HARG employing a worker to develop new advocacy schemes, support and strengthen existing schemes, and formalise local standards. As HARG works across the geographical area of Hampshire which includes the cities of Portsmouth and Southampton, HARG is now known as Hampshire Advocacy Regional Group.

HARG is already involved locally in the development of self advocacy for adults with learning disabilities, advocacy for substance mis-users, people with physical disabilities and older people. HARG is also involved nationally in the development of IMHAA (Independent Mental Health Act Advocacy) and IMCA (Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy). HARG is developing local advocacy standards and provides a central resource for advocacy information and training in Hampshire.

In 2007 we were awarded the Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy (IMCA) contracts for Hampshire and Southampton as a consortium of projects working together.

In 2008 we started a Mental Health Advocacy Development project, in order to identify gaps in advocacy provision and support new or existing projects. Our members were also part of a successful bid with Janet Badger of Advocacy World to write 3 modules of the new National Advocacy qualification.

2008 also saw the start of a project working with vulnerable adults in the city of Southampton, which builds on the success of the Thornhill Outreach project that Choices Advocacy ran from 2005-2008.

We became a registered company in January 2007, and our company officers are:

Chair/Director - Amanda Kent (Speakeasy Advocacy)
Vice chair/Director – Charles Hodgson (Choices Advocacy)
Treasurer – Campbell Copeland (Basingstoke Advocacy Scheme)
Chief Officer/Company Secretary – Chris Lee

We became a registered charity in 2008, and our trustees are:

Chair - Amanda Kent (Speakeasy Advocacy)
Vice chair - Charles Hodgson (Choices)
Treasurer - Campbell Copland (Basingstoke Advocacy Scheme)
Tammy King (Andover Advocacy Alliance)
Alison Flack (Connect Advocacy)
Andy Rooke (East Hampshire Advocacy Scheme)
Jennifer Kelsey (Just Advocacy)
Dave Capps (Winchester District Advocacy Projects)

For more information contact Chris on chris@hampshireadvocacy.org.uk or at the details below.

HARG Leaflet