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Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA)
Speaking Up provides independent specialist mental health advocacy services for people who experience mental health conditions. Speaking Up can work with service users who are:
- Aged between 16 and 65
- Living in Lincolnshire
- Using secondary mental health services
In addition to the above, Speaking Up work with people who are under a section of the Mental Health Act, regardless of their diagnosis or age. For this group, they are contracted to see them within 72 hours of being referred. There is a team of advocates in place, made up of a service manager, two full time advocates and an 18 hour advocate. This team will work with anyone who meets the referral criteria, regardless of whether they are community based, or using in-patient or day services. They will provide information to enable people to make informed choices and decisions about their lives, and support them to achieve these choices. They will also provide support and assistance in meetings such as CPA reviews, Mental Health Review Tribunals and Multi-Disciplinary Team Meetings. However, Speaking Up cannot investigate complaints, but could support someone to make a complaint if that was their choice of action. Speaking Up will also signpost to a more appropriate service if they cannot offer the service required.
Speaking Up for Lincolnshire can be contacted on 01522 702555 for further information about the service they provide. Alternatively, please contact ruth.ingamells@speakingup.org if you require any leaflets, posters or promotional literature about the service.
A process for referring service users to Speaking Up advocacy services has been developed. Two flowcharts ilustrating the process are below:
Both flowcharts show how colleagues should refer to Speaking Up when a service user (a) has capacity and (b) does not have capacity. They provide all the information that’s needed to proceed.
Speaking Up is contracted and funded by LPFT to provide independent specialist mental health advocacy to SECONDARY mental health service users up to the age of 65, except where the person is detained under the Mental Health Act, in which case there is no age limit. Under the terms of Speaking Up’s contract with LPFT, an advocate MUST visit a patient within 72 hours of being "sectioned" if the patient has capacity and consents. If a "sectioned" patient doesn't have capacity, they should be referred to Speaking Up giving only the patient’s gender and ward. LPFT monitors Speaking Up’s performance which includes amongst other things the number of "sectioned" patients they see within 72 hours. Referrals to Speaking Up’s independent specialist mental health advocacy service can be made by phone (01522 702555) or referral form (available from Speaking Up).
Unfortunately some people who use LPFT services aren't eligible for Speaking Up independent specialist mental health advocacy. This omission has been brought to the attention of our commissioners (i.e. the county council and the primary care trust) so these people’s needs will be taken into account in future planning. Our commissioners are about to review all advocacy services in the county.
People NOT eligible for Speaking Up independent specialist mental health advocacy include:
- informal patients with learning disabilities at Long Leys Court. These patients may be eligible for advocacy from CALL (tel:01522 511114) if they also receive services from the County Council’s adult social care department
- informal patients over the age of 65 who are in hospital or at home. These people may be eligible for CALL advocacy if they receive social care services from the county council
- recipients of substance misuse services, unless they also use secondary mental health services
- children and young people under the age of sixteen
- users of primary mental health services
Speaking Up is also contracted by the County Council to provide IMHA services to the whole county for adults of any age who meet the criteria for IMHA.
Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy (IMCA) Services
The Mental Capacity Act (2005) (MCA) created the role of the Independent Mental Capacity Advocate (IMCA) to represent and support service users that lack capacity to make decisions regarding their accommodation and serious medical treatment.
Speaking Up has been commissioned to provide the IMCA service throughout Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire. Anyone that is aware of a relevant decision being made for someone that lacks capacity can make a referral to the IMCA service. To make a referral you can contact the Speaking Up IMCA referral line on 0845 650 0081.
For a referral to be appropriate:
- The service user must lack capacity to make the decision for themselves. The appropriate two stage test, as outlined in the MCA, must have been conducted and recorded on the appropriate form as outlined by the trust’s MCA policy.
- The service user must be unsupported by appropriate family or friends; must not have a Welfare Lasting Power of Attorney and no Welfare Deputy should have been appointed by the Court of Protection.
- There is a duty to refer to the IMCA service where a decision is being made about the service user’s long term accommodation or any serious medical treatment. Further details of long term accommodation and serious medical treatment are available in Chapter 10 of the MCA Code of Practice.
- There is a discretionary power for a decision maker to instruct an IMCA for a service user’s care review, or where there is an adult protection investigation. A decision maker may wish to consider instructing an IMCA for a care review where the IMCA has previously worked with the service user for a previous decision.
The IMCA will not make the decision, but will represent the service user through the decision making process. Each referral should identify the individual who will make the decision, this is the decision maker. An IMCA will contact the decision maker within 72 hours of a referral being made.
If a decision about a service user’s serious medical treatment or accommodation needs to be made in an emergency, an IMCA does not need to be instructed to represent the service user for the emergency decision. However, the decision maker will need to make an IMCA referral for any continuing serious medical treatment or, in the case of a decision about an individual’s long term accommodation, as soon as possible after the emergency decision to move the service user has been made.
To discuss any potential referral please contact the Speaking Up referral line on 0845 650 0081.
For any further information about the
IMCA service please contact Ruth Ingamells, the
IMCA Service Manager on 01522 684 265 or 07983 295958.
Independent Complaints Advocacy Service (ICAS)
ICAS is a free and confidential service that is independent of the NHS and tailored to the needs of the individual.
Service users who want and are able to raise their concerns are empowered to do so.
Service users with more complex needs have access to specialist advocates who can support them through the official complaints process.
How can ICAS help service users?
An experienced worker, known as an Advocate, can:
- help write letters to the right people
- prepare the individual for and go to meetings with them
- help service users explore their options at every stage of the complaint
- answer questions to help service users make decisions
If you would like the support of an ICAS advocate, you can contact them at
Unit 14
Evans Business Centre
Gateway Park
Roman Way
Lincoln
LN6 9UH
Tel: 0845 650 0088
Fax: 01522 705131
Email: lincolnicas@carersfederation.co.uk
Office Opening Hours:
9am – 5pm (Mon, Tues, Weds and Fri)
9am – 7pm (Thurs)
A 24-Hour Telephone Voicemail Service is in operation to accept calls outside office hours.
Visit www.carersfederation.co.uk/what-we-do/icas/ for more information.