Our Advocacy services help people with mental health issues make their views heard and break down the prejudice they can encounter. This is part of our commitment to involve service users in how mental health services are designed and delivered at both a national and local level.

Through our Advocacy services, we now support more than 850 people across the country. We aim to support people in an environment where they feel safe and comfortable, so we carry out this work in a wide range of settings, from hospitals to the community. We also provide Advocacy services in a number of secure mental health facilities, including two of Britain’s high security hospitals: Rampton and Ashworth.

We have a strong reputation in advocacy and carry out our services to the latest best practice guidelines, so you can rest assured that you are receiving the highest quality support available.

Independent Mental Capacity Advocates (IMCAs) work with people who – for reasons such as learning disability, dementia, mental health problems or brain injury – are assessed as lacking mental capacity for the following specific decisions (only these four decisions are within IMCA remit):
1. Proposed, withheld or withdrawn serious medical treatment
2. A move or accommodation change that is for more than 28 days in hospital or eight weeks in a community setting
3. Care Reviews
4. Adult Safeguarding – ie, POVA

Regional service (Cheshire, Merseyside).

See contact details above

Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm

Anyone can make a referral but only NHS or LA employees have legal authority to “instruct” an IMCA. Once a referral is received, the IMCA service will make sure the “instruction” is valid and the referral is appropriate ie. it meets the statutory criteria for IMCA.

Our partners in running this service: Halton Borough Council, Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council, St Helens
Metropolitan Borough Council & Warrington Borough Council.

15/02/2020