Advocacy

We aim to empower and encourage, as far as practicable, those who use our advocacy services to take a lead in securing the rights and services to which they are entitled. This is not only central to our advocacy services, but is vital to our core emphasis on hope and recovery for all.

Our advocacy services are designed to help safeguard the rights of those who use our services in regard to mental health policy and law, and as citizens. We provide support to ensure their views are heard, represent them, help to resolve issues and protect them if they are particularly vulnerable or are unable to make informed decisions.

Advocacy services

We provide our advocacy services both in the community and in secure hospitals and secure units. Within the community, they operate from specific advocacy centres, advocacy surgeries held at various venues and advocates can also make home visits. Advocacy can take place on a one-to-one basis or be group based, for example via hospital patient councils, and information is also available by phone. Advocacy can be provided long-term or for short-term crisis needs.

Advocacy is useful in dealing with many issues, including hospital admission and discharge, section renewals and management hearings, reviews and case conferences, complaints, requests to see medical records or for a second opinion and physical care needs.

Independent Mental Capacity Advocate (IMCA) services

We also offer a number of Independent Mental Capacity Advocate (IMCA) services across England. IMCA services started on 1 April 2007 as part of the first stage of the implementation of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. These IMCA services appoint an advocate to support a person who lacks capacity to make a specified decision and who has no one appropriate, such as family or friends, to speak for them. IMCAs will be involved when decisions are being made about:  

•  serious medical treatment
• a change in the person’s accommodation where it is provided by the NHS or a local authority
• adult protection proceedings
• care reviews

The IMCA will try to find out about the person’s wishes and feelings and support and represent them, bring to the attention of the decision-maker relevant factors to assist them in their decision, and will challenge the decision-maker on behalf of the person if necessary.

For further information, see the Office of the Public Guardian booklet on IMCAs.

Advocacy principles

Our advocacy services are governed by a clear set of principles based on:

• independence - advocates must be free from any influence by providers of health or social care and from any conflicts of interest
• empowerment - our ultimate goal is to enable those using our services to develop towards self-advocacy. An advocate must always support them in speaking for themselves but, where this is not possible, he or she must represent their views as if they were the advocate’s own
• impartiality - advocates must be impartial and non-judgmental. They are separate from an individual’s assessment, treatment and monitoring and, as advocates, must listen to and hear that individual’s report as their truth and therefore valid
• confidentiality - all discussions between anyone using the service and an advocate must be in the strictest confidence 
• inclusion - the service must recognise diversity and ensure no one is excluded because of a difference in language, culture, disability or capacity 
• free access - advocacy is a free service and must not discriminate on grounds of poverty or wealth.

All our staff and volunteer advocates receive training to ensure that they are able to provide the highest level of service and we seek to develop positive working relationships between those who use our advocacy services and those who deliver them. We aim to improve our advocacy services through the involvement of the people that use them and our own Quality Assurance Programme.

What people say about our advocacy services

In a survey of people that use our services carried out by our Research Team, 96 per cent of people using our advocacy services feel staff and volunteers treat them with dignity and respect.