What we do at Maze
We provide an advocacy service for children and young people age 9-19 who are in emotional or mental distress and living in Somerset.
We help them to:
- Make sure their views, wishes and feelings are heard and understood by other people in their life e.g. teachers, carers, mental health professionals, social workers, housing officers, etc
- Know and understand what their rights are
- Find independent and unbiased information along with the support to explore their choices and options
We provide support in two different ways:
- One off requests for information from young people in distress or their friends
- More in-depth support from an advocate to help young people sort out whatever the problem is
In all our dealings we seek to work with respect, trust, honesty and transparency.
Advocacy is helpful for children and young people because:
- It can help empower them to deal with their problems or issues.
- It supports them in a friendly, impartial way to get their voice heard
- It does not attempt to persuade or direct them to make a particular choice
- It can help them make positive steps towards solving problems
- It can help them to gain self respect and to stand up and speak up for themselves.
We help young people age 6-19 in Somerset to get their views heard on issues affecting their emotional or mental wellbeing. Our service is free, independent and confidential.