Outside the Box

Your Voice is a training course run by Inverclyde Community Care Forum.

The aims are:

• for people to feel more confident
• pointing people to sources of information and advice
• enabling people to raise concerns- for example with the NHS, local authority staff and other public services - in an effective and constructive way.

It is aimed at people who have little or no experience of being involved in participation or consultation activities. The participants have come from a wide range of situation, including people who are socially excluded.

The organisations which have contributed to the funding of the training are:

• Big Lottery
• Scottish Health Council
• Inverclyde Council
• Community Voices Fund, Communities Scotland
• Choose Life in Inverclyde and Inverclyde Community Health Partnership have also funded particular parts of the overall programme.

The short courses have been running since November 2006. Many people go on to use what they have learned in their own lives. Others are working with other people, for example through support groups or Forums of people who use services or carers.

Outside the Box is carrying out an evaluation of the course. This will enable the Community Care Forum to plan for the future and be accountable to the organisations which have given funding for the course. We have also been asked to look at the potential for the course to be repeated in other parts of Scotland. The report will be completed by March 2008.

More information about the Your Voice training is available from: