MP welcomes launch of Cosgrove Champions

East Renfrewshire MP Kirsten Oswald has welcomed the launch of Cosgrove Champions, an advisory forum set up to work alongside Cosgrove Care.

Advisory forum has been set up to work alongside Cosgrove Care

The forum is intended as a platform for people who have disabilities to come together, learn together, gain the peer support and confidence they need to discuss issues that are important to them.

It will also encourage participants to learn about human rights and how to exercise their rights as citizens, including their right to vote.

The forum will allow Cosgrove to learn from people who have lived experience to help shape the work of the organisation.

Participants will be able to get involved in Cosgrove and participate in a range of ways, including choosing staff and training staff.

It is also a forum for people to talk about issues and activities within their community and how they can get involved

Ms Oswald said: “This is a very positive initiative and a great example of Cosgrove being forward thinking and progressive in putting the needs of service users at the centre of all they do in our community.

“The range of ambitions for the group, which includes involvement in staff selection and promoting community engagement, is very impressive and the shared commitment to delivering on these ambitions is reflected in the title chosen by the service users.”

Lesley Gold of Cosgrove Care added: “The forum members are committed to working with partners to exercise their rights as citizens and experts in their own lives and to influence and help shape not only Cosgrove Care but also the wider community.”