Welcome to Voice Collective!
Voice Collective is a UK-wide project based at Mind in Camden, and we support young people (up to the age of 25) who hear voices, see visions, have other unique sensory experiences or beliefs, as well as their parents/carers and other supporters.
We use the term ‘hearing voices’ to refer to a whole range of experiences which are more common than people think. It can involve sensing things others don’t, having intense or overwhelming thoughts and feelings, unique beliefs, or experiences that we might struggle to describe.
A lot of people who work for Voice Collective have some personal experience of mental health difficulties or distress. We value how powerful it can be to talk to someone who can relate to what you’re going through or has been in a similar position - which is why we set up peer support groups! We believe that having empathic and non-judgemental places to talk, in addition to having people who really listen and believe you, is really important, and that’s what we aim to do.
Sometimes, hearing voices and other related experiences can be really distressing and overwhelming, and at times it might feel like there’s no hope or that things will never get better. Here at Voice Collective, we want you to know you are not alone in having these experiences and feeling that way. We are here for you, and want to support you as best we can.
Our project covers three main areas, work with children and young people, work with parents and carers, in addition to work with professionals and organisations.
If you want more information, or want to reach out to us, drop us a message to say hello! We’d love to hear from you. You can also find us on social media channels, including facebook, twitter, and Instagram, or you can email us at info@voicecollective.co.uk.
You can also see what events we are running here on our Eventbrite page.
Additional information
- Peer support groups so you can meet with other young people. Peer Support Group Details (voicecollective.co.uk)
- Creative workshops, where you can learn new skills and have some fun
- 1-2-1 support around making sense of voices and finding coping strategies (email, phone, by zoom, and in person)
- Information & signposting, to help you find the right services and support for you
- Online support forum
- Website, including lots of information and ideas to help you understand your experiences and find ways of dealing with them
- Support for your family, school or youth workers
- Involvement opportunities for young people to help Voice Collective destigmatise Voice Hearing and improve our service.
- Peer support groups and workshops so you can meet with other adults, share experiences & get new ideas
- 1-2-1 support to help you make sense of your child’s experiences and think of ways of helping them cope (email, phone & in person)
- Information & signposting
- Website & online support forum
- Guidance and support developing information resources, policies and practice to include and support young people who hear voices
- Training to develop Voice Collective peer support groups
- Coaching and training for staff to support those already working with a young person who hears voices
- Awareness raising (including PSHE lessons and workshops for staff)
- We also offer a range of trainings in understanding and supporting young people who hear voices, as well as offering bespoke trainings around other topics such as hearing voices and self-harm, suicidality, multiplicity and dissociation, etc. Plus coaching and mentoring for staff to support those working with young people who hear voices.
We’ve worked with professionals in CAMHS, Early Intervention in Psychosis, Schools, Social Services, Voluntary Sector Organisations & Charities, Arts Groups, Universities and many more.
We specialise in breaking down the stigma and anxiety surrounding voice-hearing, helping workers use their existing skills to support young people. We are flexible in what we offer, so do get in touch to explore how we might work together.
What is it like to hear voices or see things that other people don’t?
The experience of hearing voices can really vary from person to person, and voices, visions, and other experiences are often unique to the individual. Some people have experiences which comfort, inspire or make them laugh. Others have ones that are more frightening and confusing. Many have a bit of both. Check out our animation (made by young people who hear voices or see visions) to find out more: https://youtu.be/l7iJvz2rtSE
Coping with experiences
Life isn’t always easy. When times are tough it’s really helpful to have a toolbox full of ideas and strategies to help you cope. You’re not starting from scratch, though. We all have ways of dealing with the things that stress us out. The idea is to build on what already works for you and see what else you can add.
To find out more about this concept, follow the link: http://www.voicecollective.co.uk/coping/
Can I volunteer with you?
Get in touch if you would like to volunteer (potential roles as facilitator, admin assistant, moderator, in website support).
You can contact us by e-mail (info@voicecollective.co.uk) or phone (020 7911 0822). You are also welcome to join our online peer support forum – we have sections for young people, young adults, professionals and supporters of young people http://forum.voicecollective.co.uk/
Voices and Visions – A Straight Talking Introduction
Voices and Visions – A Guide to Coping and Recovery
Dealing with Scary Voices
http://www.voicecollective.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Dealing-with-Scary-Voices.pdf
Main website: http://www.voicecollective.co.uk/
When you get in touch with Voice Collective, you might share bits of information about yourself with us, for example, you might tell us your name. This privacy notice explains what we do with your information, why we do it, and your rights.
If you have any questions about this notice, you can get in touch with the Voice Collective Team on info@voicecollective.co.uk or call 020 7911 0822.
What information do we collect about you?
- Your email or phone number which you used to contact Voice Collective.
- The date that you first got in touch with Voice Collective, and any date when you emailed us, talked to us on the telephone or met with us in person.
- If you’ve attended Voice Collective’s peer support group at Mind in Camden, we record the dates you came to the group.
- If you choose to tell us we also collect your name, age or date of birth, your address or the county or borough in which you live
- We also record the name, address, email or telephone number of a parent, carer or other adult in your life if you choose to tell us.
Special or ‘sensitive’ information
- If you choose to tell us, we record your gender and/or ethnicity using the words you choose to describe them.
- If you have emailed Voice Collective, we store your full email.
- If you have posted on Voice Collective’s online forum, your post is stored.
Why do we collect this information?
We record your name, email address or telephone number so that we can get in touch with you if you’ve asked us to, or if we need to tell you about a change to a Voice Collective service, for example, if a Voice Collective group or meeting has been cancelled.
We record your age, gender, ethnicity and the county or borough you live in so we can tell our funders how many young people we’re supporting (but not who you are).
We record the name and contact details of an adult in your life in case we ever became very worried about your immediate safety. If we did, we would want to get in touch with them to help keep you safe, but first we would talk to you about it so you knew what was going to happen.
Legal basis for processing your information
Whenever a service like Voice Collective collects information about you, there needs to be a legal basis for doing so. Our legal basis for collecting and using your information is called ‘legitimate interests’. We are here to support you, so we need to collect some details in order to keep in contact with you and let you know about opportunities such as workshops or groups.
Where do we store your information, and how do we keep it safe?
- We keep the information on a digital, cloud-based database which is password protected.
- If you fill out a Voice Collective referral form, we keep it in a locked filing cabinet.
- Emails to Voice Collective are stored in our password-protected email server.
- Posts on Voice Collective’s Online Forum are stored on the forum’s server.
How long do we store your information?
We store your information until you’re 26 years old. Once you’re 26, we will wait until the 1st April to delete your information. This is because every year we count the numbers of young people we’ve supported so that we can tell our funders on 1st April.
If you choose not to tell us your age, we will store your information for 10 years.
When the time comes to delete your information, we will delete your record from our database and delete any emails you’ve sent us, and your referral form if you filled one out.
If you’ve posted on the Voice Collective online forum, we won’t delete your posts because it might still be helpful for other young people to read them.
Who can see your information?
The only people who can see your information are the people who work at Voice Collective.
Will we ever share your information with anyone else?
Voice Collective services are safe and confidential. That means that we won’t share your information with anyone, even if they get in touch with us to ask.
The only time when we might share information about you with someone outside of Voice Collective is if we ever became very worried about your immediate safety. If so, we might share some of your information with another adult or service who could help keep you safe. If this happened, we would try our best to talk to you first to let you know who we were thinking of talking to and what we wanted to tell them, and we would only share information that’s necessary.
What are your rights?
At any time, you have the right to ask Voice Collective to show you the information we’ve collected about you, ask us how we’re using your information, correct any inaccurate information or, in some cases, ask us to delete it or stop using it. You can do this by getting in touch with Lucy at Voice Collective on info@voicecollective.co.uk or 020 7911 0822.
Making a complaint
If you think we’ve used your information in a way that feels unhelpful or unnecessary, or feels different from what this notice has explained, you have the right to complain. You can do this by getting in touch with Lucy at Voice Collective on info@voicecollective.co.uk or 020 7911 0822.
If you’d prefer to complain to someone outside of Voice Collective, you can get in touch with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO). To find out more, visit: https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/your-personal-information-concerns/
What happens if we need to change this notice?
From time to time, we will check that this privacy notice is correct and up to date. If we update it, we will change the date at the bottom to show when we updated it last. Keep an eye out on our website for changes to the notice: www.voicecollective.co.uk .
When you get in touch with Voice Collective, you might share bits of information about yourself with us, for example, you might tell us your name. This privacy notice explains what we do with your information, why we do it, and your rights.
If you have any questions about this notice, you can get in touch with the Voice Collective Team on info@voicecollective.co.uk or call 020 7911 0822.
What information do we collect about you?
- Your email or phone number which you used to contact Voice Collective.
- The date that you first got in touch with Voice Collective, and any date when you emailed us, talked to us on the telephone or met with us in person.
- If you’ve attended Voice Collective’s ‘Parents and Carers Support Space’ at Mind in Camden, or a Voice Collective training, we record the dates you attended it.
- If you choose to tell us, we collect your name, address or the county or borough you live in
- We also record the name and age of your child if you choose to tell us.
Special or ‘sensitive’ information
- If you choose to tell us, we record your gender and/or ethnicity using the words you choose to describe them.
- If you have emailed Voice Collective, we store your full email.
- If you have posted on Voice Collective’s online forum, your post is stored.
Why do we collect this information?
We record your name, email address or telephone number so that we can get in touch with you if you’ve asked us to, or if we need to tell you about a change to a Voice Collective service, for example, if a Voice Collective event or meeting has been cancelled.
We record your age, gender, ethnicity and the county or borough you live in so we can tell our funders how many parents and carers we’re supporting (but not who you are).
Legal basis for processing your information
Whenever a service like Voice Collective collects information about you, there needs to be a legal basis for doing so. Our legal basis for collecting and using your information is called ‘legitimate interests’. We are here to support you, so we need to collect some details in order to keep in contact with you and let you know about Voice Collective events and services.
Where do we store your information, and how do we keep it safe?
- We keep the information on a digital, cloud-based database which is password protected.
- If your child has filled out a Voice Collective referral form and included you as their emergency contact, we keep the form in a locked filing cabinet.
- Emails to Voice Collective are stored in our password-protected email server.
- Posts on Voice Collective’s Online Forum are stored on the forum’s server.
How long do we store your information?
We will store your information for 10 years, or until your child turns 19 years old. Then, we will wait until the 1st April to delete your information. This is because every year we count the numbers of people we’ve supported so that we can tell our funders on 1st April.
When the time comes to delete your information, we will delete your record from our database and delete any emails you’ve sent us, and any referral form your child may have filled out.
If you’ve posted on the Voice Collective online forum, we won’t delete your posts because it might still be helpful for other people to read them.
Who can see your information?
The only people who can see your information are the people who work at Voice Collective.
Will we ever share your information with anyone else?
Voice Collective services are safe and confidential. That means that we won’t share your information with anyone, even if they get in touch with us to ask.
The only time when we might share information about you with someone outside of Voice Collective is if we ever became concerned about the safety or welfare of your child. If we did, we may share our concerns with a relevant statutory agency or local authority. In most cases, we would keep you informed of the actions we had taken, however if we felt that this might put any child at risk of further harm we would not inform you of our decision to share information.
What are your rights?
At any time, you have the right to ask Voice Collective to show you the information we’ve collected about you, ask us how we’re using your information, correct any inaccurate information or, in some cases, ask us to delete it or stop using it. You can do this by getting in touch with Lucy at Voice Collective on info@voicecollective.co.uk or 020 7911 0822.
Making a complaint
If you think we’ve used your information in a way that feels unhelpful or unnecessary, or feels different from what this notice has explained, you have the right to complain. You can do this by getting in touch with Lucy at Voice Collective on info@voicecollective.co.uk or 020 7911 0822.
If you’d prefer to complain to someone outside of Voice Collective, you can get in touch with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO). To find out more, visit: https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/your-personal-information-concerns/
What happens if we need to change this notice?
From time to time, we will check that this privacy notice is correct and up to date. If we update it, we will change the date at the bottom to show when we updated it last. Keep an eye out on our website for changes to the notice: www.voicecollective.co.uk/ .
