Multiple Voices

I saw this sign when I was walking through town this afternoon. It's designed to raise awareness of what the council can do to help prevent the abuse of vulnerable adults, including people in care homes. I was struck by the way it uses two different voices to communicate its message. First, it gives us a statement of concern: 'My sister isn't being cared for by the professionals who should look after her', which is attributed to 'Brenda, 54'. Then a voice speaking for the council offers a reply: 'That's abuse. We can help. Call 0114 273 4908'.

As usual when thinking about a text, it's helpful to remember that it didn't have to be like this. The poster could have used a single voice: 'If you know an adult who isn't being treated properly by professional carers, we can help.' But, although the message *could* be expressed like this, I don't think it works anywhere near as well as the real version. Why not? There might be a number of reasons. One of them is that the version with two voices models the kind of reassuring conversation you'd hope to have if you approached the service yourself. Brenda's voice articulates the kind of complaint the service user might make and then the reply is reassuring and authoritative: 'Yes, you're right - that *is* abuse. Contact us and we'll help.' Does this help to construct the service in some particular way?