Advocacy
Advocacy means giving a person support to have their voice heard; helping the person to understand their rights and express their views. The person supporting the adult could be a family member, a friend, or an independent advocate.
The Care Act 2014 says that some people are legally entitled to have an advocate to support them to understand and participate in their health and social care assessments, support plans, reviews or safeguarding enquiries.
A person will be entitled to a Care Act advocate if:
• They would find it difficult to be actively involved in their assessment and support plans without an advocate.
• They do not already have someone suitable who can help.
Care Act 2014 (legislation.gov.uk)
The Care Act 2014 requires that a Local Authority must arrange, where appropriate, for an Independent Advocate to represent and support an adult who is the subject of a safeguarding enquiry or SAR where the adult has ‘substantial difficulty’ in being involved in the process and where there is no other appropriate individual to help them.
The Independent Mental Capacity Advocate (IMCA) was introduced by the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). The Act gives some people who lack capacity a right to receive support from an IMCA.
The local authority has a duty to make sure that IMCAs are available to represent people who lack capacity to make specific decisions, so staff will need to know when an IMCA must be involved Making decisions. The Independent Mental Capacity Advocate (IMCA) service (publishing.service.gov.uk)
Eligibility The IMCA service is provided for any person aged 16 years or older, who has no one able to support and represent them, and who lacks capacity to make a decision about either:
• a long-term care move.
• serious medical treatment.
• safeguarding adult procedures; or
• a care and support plan review.
• The person will have been assessed as lacking capacity to make the specific decision due to either a life-long condition or a temporary illness.
IMCAs should be available to people who are in prison, in hostels or homeless and who lack capacity to make decisions about serious medical treatment or long-term accommodation.
Advocates will not provide support in relation to Financial Matters.
To make a referral for an advocate click on the link below:
Email: referral@knowsleyadvocacyhub.org.uk
Website: www.n-compass.org.uk