Advocacy Services - Lot 1 – IMCA/Healthwatch/Care Act Advocacy/NHS Complaints Lot 2 – Independent Mental Health Act Advocacy

Lot 1 – IMCA/Healthwatch/Care Act Advocacy/NHS Complaints - The primary role of the services shall be to meet all statutory requirements for Cumbria County Council for the provision of professional independent advocacy under the terms of the Care Act 2014, the Health and Social Care Act 2012, and the Mental Capacity Act 2005, (as amended by the Mental Health Act 2007 and within the guidelines set out in the Mental Capacity Act 2005 Code of Practice and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards supplement to the Code of Practice.)

The services will operate across all categories of need, including adults with learning disabilities, dementia, mental health needs, acquired brain injury, physical and sensory impairment and young people in transition to adult services.

Lot 2 – Independent Mental Health Act Advocacy - IMHA services were introduced to safeguard the rights of people detained under the Mental Health Act (referred to as ‘qualifying patients’). IMHA services aim to enable people to understand their rights and safeguards under the Mental Health Act, and to participate in decisions about their care and treatment.

An Independent Mental Health Advocate is a statutory role, with specific responsibilities which include:

• Supporting qualifying patients to access information and to better understand what is happening to them.
• Supporting qualifying patients to explore options and to engage with decision-making about their care and treatment.
• Supporting qualifying patients to articulate their own views.
• Speaking on the qualifying patient's behalf, as instructed by them, and representing them when requested.
• Accessing records relating to the qualifying patient’s detention, treatment or after-care.
• Providing non-instructed advocacy to qualifying patients who cannot clearly instruct their advocate or lack capacity to make specific decisions.