The role of the Independent Mental
Capacity Advocate service is to provide independent safeguards
for people who lack the capacity to make certain important
decisions and at the time that such decisions need to be made they
have no-one else to support or represent them or who can be
consulted.
An IMCA must be instructed and consulted when:
- An NHS body is proposing to provide serious medical
treatment.
- An NHS body or local authority is proposing to arrange
accommodation (or a change of accommodation), whether in a hospital
or care home, where the person will stay in hospital for more than
28 days or in a care home for more than eight weeks.
An IMCA may be instructed to support someone who lacks capacity
to make decisions concerning:
- Care reviews – where no-one else is available to be
consulted.
- Adult protection cases, whether or not family, friends or
others are involved.
Full details regarding the statutory requirements of the IMCA
are provided within Chapter 10 of the
MCA Code of Practice.
The IMCA Service in Suffolk is provided by
VoiceAbility. Please direct all enquiries and referrals to the
VoiceAbility IMCA referral line - 0845 0175198 or visit their
website.