Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance backs urgent action plan highlighting critical independent advocacy gaps across Scotland
The Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance (SIAA) has welcomed the publication of Scotland’s Mental Health Partnership manifesto, ‘Scotland’s Mental Health: It’s Time for Action’, which identifies independent advocacy as a cornerstone of effective mental health services.
As one of seventeen member organisations in the Partnership, SIAA endorses the manifesto’s call for urgent government action to address what it describes as Scotland’s “mental health emergency” – with services struggling under unprecedented demand while the workforce faces severe pressure and burnout.
Independent Advocacy Essential for Mental Health Standards
The manifesto specifically highlights independent advocacy as Action Area 6, emphasising that without adequate independent advocacy provision, core mental health standards cannot be successfully implemented across Scotland.
“The Scottish Mental Health Law Review called for an increase in the provision of advocacy services,” the manifesto states. “Without access to advocacy, the core mental health standards cannot be implemented successfully, and mental health services will struggle to follow government guidelines and policy, impacting their performance.”
The Partnership’s manifesto identifies a “postcode lottery” in independent advocacy access, calling on the Scottish Government to ensure independent advocacy is provided across all local areas. This includes both individual and collective advocacy, with local areas having a duty to provide both models according to Scottish Government and Mental Welfare Commission guidance for the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003.
Supporting Decision-Making Rights
SIAA Chief Executive Suzanne Swinton commented: “This manifesto recognises what we’ve long argued – that independent advocacy is not an optional extra but an essential component of quality mental health services. People experiencing mental ill health have the right to participate in decision-making about their own lives and to claim their right to quality services that meet their needs.”
The manifesto’s approach aligns with SIAA’s mission to ensure that people who face barriers to their human rights have access to independent advocacy to help them have their voice heard and their rights upheld.
Comprehensive Reform Needed
Beyond independent advocacy, the Partnership’s manifesto calls for transformational change across Scotland’s mental health system using the “3Ps” framework:
- Promote: An ambitious public health programme to improve mental health literacy and tackle stigma
- Prevent: Early intervention and prevention resources, particularly for at-risk communities
- Provide: Choice of support, care and treatment in the right place at the right time
The manifesto demands substantial increased investment, including raising NHS mental health spending above the current 9%, establishing a £20 million annual “Improving Scotland’s Mental Health Fund”, and introducing multi-year funding for third sector organisations.
Governance and Leadership
The Partnership calls for appointment of a dedicated Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing and stronger governance of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy, with lived experience leadership integrated into decision-making at all levels.
The manifesto also advocates for expanding professional advisers within the Mental Health Directorate to include both a Lived Experience Advisor and Third Sector Advisor, bringing these crucial perspectives to the heart of government.
Urgent Action Required
Gordon Johnson, Policy Lead for Scotland’s Mental Health Partnership, emphasised the urgency: “The time for talking and planning has passed. We are now in a mental health emergency, and we need bold and ambitious measures that will address this crisis.”
The manifesto comes ahead of the 2026 Scottish Parliament elections, serving as a comprehensive policy platform designed to influence political parties’ manifestos and secure commitments from candidates. With mental health poorer than pre-pandemic levels and stigma and discrimination remaining prevalent, the Partnership is using this pre-election period to push for concrete policy adoption across the political spectrum. The Partnership represents over seventeen organisations including clinical professionals, third sector providers, and people with lived experience.
For SIAA, the manifesto’s recognition of independent advocacy as fundamental infrastructure for mental health services represents a significant opportunity to address the current inequitable access to independent advocacy support across Scotland.
The full manifesto is available at www.smhp.scot
Transparency note: this article was written by SIAA staff and then edited both by using Claude AI and by the SIAA staff team.
