SOL - Advocacy Services 2025

Advocacy services provide an important service for people who would otherwise be unable to represent their own interests effectively, often with regard to the care that they receive. The service increases the likelihood of the person getting an outcome that they desire from their care, helping to support person-centred care.Councils have a number of statutory duties to provide advocacy services for people who meet specific criteria set out in various pieces of legislation, meaning that a range of individuals are eligible for statutory advocacy services. These duties are set out in the Care Act 2014, Health and Social Care Act 2012, Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Mental Health Act 1983.These services are broken down into:* Care Act Advocacy* Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy (IMCA)* Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA)* NHS Complaints Advocacy* Deprivation of Liberty Safeguarding (DoLS) and Responsible Persons Representative (RPR)* Parents' AdvocacyThe aim of the services is to help individuals who lack either the capacity or the access to information to express their views and be represented in key decision-making processes. The services do not provide advice but serve to give individuals the tools to make informed decisions where possible, in some cases non-instructed advocacy may be necessary where the advocate seeks to act in the best interests of an individual.The Adults Statutory Advocacy and Parents' Advocacy are not the only advocacy services which exist in the borough and will be required to collaborate with other advocacy services. Currently, a non-statutory advocacy service is available within Brooklands Hospital, which the provider will be required to liaise with in order to ensure people eligible for IMHA are receiving the service. Additionally, children's advocacy services are contracted by SMBC Children's Social Care with links required to identify individuals who will become or are eligible for the services provided in this contract.