Recovery Advocacy Project (RAP)
Over the last few years, LAAS have been working closely and in collaboration with Scottish Recovery Consortium, our Argyll and Bute ADP and REACH Advocacy Scotland and have made significant developments in establishing advocacy provisions for people in Argyll and Bute who are seeking assistance with recovery.
We initally recruited three volunteers across Argyll & Bute and we were delighted to announce that Jane, Sharon and Jamie have successfully completed a SQA in a Rights Based Approach to Independent Advocacy. These Lived Experience Volunteer Advocates can support and empower people across our communities in knowing their rights, respect and recovery is key to supporting people to access services and be successful in their journeys.
Next steps:
Following on from recruiting our Peer Advocate volunteers, we have successfully secured funding to provide a project in the Helensburgh and Isle of Bute areas to assist and support people seeking recovery to be supported, valued, respected and heard in their recovery journeys.
Two of our Peer Advocacy volunteers, who are familiar with the Rights, Respect and Recovery strategy of the Scottish Government, Jamie and Jane, have taken up posts in Bute and Helensburgh.
We welcome them to the team, its great to have them on board.
Jamie Campbell – Cowal & Bute
Jane Methven – Helensburgh
We also now have a Peer Advocacy Worker in the Kintyre area – Chelsea Willis. Welcome to the team Chelsea.
Chelsea Willis – Kintyre
We also received additional funding to recruit a worker in Cowal. In August 2023, Sara MacLeod joined the Recovery Advocacy team and is covering Cowal. Welcome Sara.
Contact details for Peer Advocates:
Jane Methven: jane.methven@laas.org.uk 07920 027411
Jamie Campbell: jamie.campbell@laas.org.uk 07736 872791
Chelsea Willis: chelsea.willis@laas.org.uk 07553 891035
Sara MacLeod@laas.org.uk 07908 994180
Stories of Hope
Our team have gathered stories from those that they work with and some information together in our small booklet “Stories of Hope”. This can be seen below in pdf format. Stories of Hope LAAS
Group RAP:
Update on our Group RAP meetings: We are no longer running these groups. please contact your local area worker for more information if this is something you would like to hear more about.
Previous news:
We hosted our first face to face meeting that will bring together people from across Argyll and Bute on Thursday 5th of May 2022 in Inveraray – find out more in our News section.
We are looking to start a new group that will be innovative in learning how we can work together to support people who are seeking help with recovery from substance or alcohol issues.
We will host virtual monthly meetings – moving to face to face meetings when appropriate to do so – bringing together people from across the Argyll area that are eager to shape changes and help explore how we can support more people to be successful in their recovery journeys.
- Have you lived experience of alcohol or substance problems?
- Are you passionate about people and the community in which you live?
- Would you like to share your knowledge to assist and help others?
- Would you like to support changes to address discrimination and help ensure people are treated fairly and equitably?
- Are you supporting people with addiction issues to improve their lives through community groups?
If you think you could support our service to grow, develop and enable people seeking recovery to be more successful then please do get in touch. Ailsa McCrae our Team Leader in Argyll will welcome hearing from you and discussing the project ideas further.
Our first meeting will be on the 24th February at 1pm and we look forward to seeing you there. Contact Ailsa for more information and the Zoom link.
