Independent Mental health Advocacy (IMHA)

A new advocacy scheme has been introduced for qualifying patients. These arrangements are introduced by way of amendment to the Mental Health Act 1983 by section 30 of the Mental Health Act 2007. Under these arrangements, Independent Mental Health Advocates (IMHAs) provide qualifying patients with support and help.

North Wales Independent Mental health Advocacy schemes:- Unllais
Gwynedd and Ynys Mon	01248 354127
Conway and Denbighshire	01745 816501
Flint and Wrexham	01352 759175

Patients who qualify for advocacy support are those :

• Detained or liable to be detained under the 1983 Act
• Subject to guardianship under the Act
• Community patients subject to community treatment orders
• Conditionally discharged
• Being considered for section 57 or 58A treatments but are not otherwise subject to the Act (i.e. an ‘informal’ patient)

Patients’ rights to an IMHA

A qualifying patient may ask for the support of an IMHA at any time. Certain professionals have a duty to tell qualifying patients that independent mental health advocacy is available and how they may obtain it. Patients may want to consider accessing an IMHA in the following circumstances:

• As soon as practicable after their arrival in hospital under one of the relevant sections of the Act
• Before the initial discussion with their clinician about the proposed treatment plan
• When the use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is being considered
• When an application has been made or is being considered to the MHRT for Wales or to the hospital managers
• When they choose not to be legally represented at a tribunal hearing
• When they want to make, or have made, a complaint
• When they want to discuss any aspect of their care or treatment
• When they want to apply to displace their nearest relative (see chapter 23)
• When they are consulted about the conditions to be attached to a community treatment order (CTO)
• When a CTO is renewed, revoked, or its conditions are varied
• When a meeting is held to discuss after-care.
  

What will the IMHA do?

The IMHA will:

• Ensure that the patient’s voice is heard by supporting the patient to articulate their views and to engage with the multi-disciplinary team
• Support patients to access information, and to understand better what is happening and what is planned, and to understand better the options available to them
• Support patients in exploring options, making better-informed decisions and in engaging with the development of their care plans
• Supporting the patient to ensure they are valued for who they are
• Support the patient to counteract any actual or potential discrimination.
  

Supporting the role and work of the IMHA

Patients should have access to a telephone to speak to an IMHA in private.

The IMHA has the right to:

• Visit and interview the patient in private
• Vsit, interview and get the views of anyone professionally concerned with the patient’s medical treatment.
  

IMHAs should be enabled, as appropriate, to:

• Have access to the unit and ward where the patient under detention is staying
• Have access to facilities in the community where the patient is a community patient
• Attend relevant meetings and ward rounds when asked to do so by the patient.

Access to records

Subject to conditions, the IMHA has a right to access and inspect the patient’s relevant records, including any records:

• About the patient’s detention or treatment in any hospital or registered establishment
• About any after-care services provided to the patient under section 117 of or held by an LSSA about the patient.

  Confidentiality

• IMHAs are expected to follow an agreed confidentiality policy. Under this, any information a patient shares with an IMHA should remain confidential unless the patient want it to be disclosed, or the IMHA has reasons to disclose it.

In most circumstances the IMHA will tell the patient all the information they have received on their behalf.

Standards:

Appropriate experience and training

This is guidance on what constitutes appropriate experience and training for Independent Mental Health Advocates (IMHAs), including an appropriate qualification, referred to in regulation 6 of the Mental Health Act 1983
In deciding whether a person has appropriate experience and training, the person or organisation appointing the IMHA should in particular consider:
- Previous experience working in advocacy, particularly mental health advocacy
- Previous experience working with people with mental health needs
- Successful completion of an advocacy qualification, in particular the IMHA module of the National Advocacy Qualification (see below).

Standards:-

National Advocacy Qualification

To achieve national consistency in the way IMHA services are delivered by multiple independent advocacy providers, a national advocacy qualification is being developed. The qualification is to be modular in structure, consisting of four core modules on generic advocacy, and several specialist modules, including an IMHA module. Learners will be able to take any unit in any order, and there will be no requirement to complete the core units before completing a specialist unit.
As it is a competency-based qualification and reliant on practical experience, not all potential IMHAs will be able to complete the IMHA module before starting to practise. However, to ensure that IMHAs are appropriately trained to meet the needs of patients, IMHAs should be expected to have successfully completed the IMHA module by the end of their first year of practice (making necessary adjustments for any maternity leave, long term sickness or other similar absences).

For additional information please see Chapter 25 of the Mental Health Act 1983 Codes of Practice for Wales Viewed or downloaded HERE (please note the file is 6.51mb in size so may take some time to view or download on a slow connection)

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For IMHA services in your area,See below

Other IMCA Service Providers

Gwynedd and Ynys Mon	01248 354127
Conway and Denbighshire	01745 816501
Flint and Wrexham	01352 759175
North Wales Independent Mental health Advocacy schemes:- Unllais

Anglesey and Gwynedd

Sorrel Smith and Caroline Campbell nwadvocacy@fsmail.net
North Wales Advice and Advocacy Service
24-26 High Street, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, North Wales LL55 1RH.
IMCA Tel: 01286 669569
IMCA Fax: 01286 673589
IMCA Email: imca@nwadvocacy.info

Bridgend, Neath Port Talbot and Swansea

Peter Wakeford, Area Manager, Mental Health Matters (Wales)
Address: IMCA Wales
63 Nolton Street
Bridgend
CF31 3AE
Telephone: 01656 651450
Fax: 01656 663397
Email: peter.wakeford@mhmwales.org
Website: www.imcawales.org

Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Newport, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Torfaen and the Vale of Glamorgan
John Kirkham, Area Manager, Mental Health Matters (Wales)

Address: IMCA Wales
Pier Head Building
Bedwlwyn Road
Ystrad Mynach
Hengoed
CF82 7AA
Telephone: 01443 810871
Fax: 01443 812664
Mobile: 07825 924447
Email: john.kirkham@imcawales.org
Website: www.imcawales.org

Conwy, Denbighshire and Flintshire
Anna Murphy, Operations Manager

Advocacy Experience
4 Harvard Court
Quay Business Centre
Calver Road
Warrington
WA2 8LT
Tel: 0844 8002776
Fax: 01925 651400
IMCA@advocacyexperience.com

Wrexham

Marlene Thomas
Advance Advocacy
3 Belmont Road
Wrexham
LL13 7PW
phone: 01978 265887
mobile: 07910 652037
email: imca3@tiscali.co.uk
Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire
Chris Lacey, Tim Bennett, Paul Ryder

3 Counties IMCA Service
The Liberal Chambers
4 St Mary’s Street
Haverfordwest
Pembrokeshire
SA62 3DR
Tel/Fax 01437 763377
Web:- www.3countiesimca.org.uk
Email: imca@3countiesimca.org.uk

Powys

Brecknock and Radnor CHC
Chief Officer, Mr Bryn Williams
2nd Floor
2 The Struet
Brecon
Powys
LD3 7LH
Telephone: 01874 624206
Fax: 01874 611602
Email address: breconchc@breconchc.org.uk

Montgomery CHC

Chief Officer, Mr John Howard
Linda Evans (07736 120924)
Linda Woodward (07974 935355)
Ladywell House, Newtown, Powys, SY16 1JB
01686 627632 and 01686 624581
E:Mail montchc@chc.wales.nhs.uk
http://www.patienthelp.wales.nhs.uk/montgomery

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