Advocacy Services for Health and Social Care

• Independent advocates for patients using social care services (as per the Care Act 2014 and the Care and Support statutory guidance)

• Independent mental capacity advocates (as per the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and its Code of Practice)

• Independent mental health advocates (as per the Mental Health Act 1983 and its Code of Practice)

• Advocacy for Adult Secure Services <br/>Secure services provide treatment for adults aged 18-years and over with mental disorders, these include mental illness (MI), personality disorder (PD) and neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) including learning disabilities (LD) and autism. There are three levels of secure services with specific criteria for each, High, Medium and Low.

• Advocacy for Children and Young People <br/>While it is anticipated that this procedure is for children and young people making or intending to make a complaint, it covers representations which are not complaints. For example, children and young people should be able to secure the support of an advocate in putting forward <br/>representations for a change to be made in the service they receive, or the establishment <br/>they live in, without this having to be framed first as a specific complaint.

• Advocacy for Women’s’ Health <br/>Although women in the UK on average live longer than men, women spend a significantly <br/>greater proportion of their lives in ill health and disability when compared with men. <br/>Not enough focus is placed on women-specific issues like miscarriage or menopause, <br/>and women are under-represented when it comes to important clinical trials. There are also far too many cases where women’s voices have not been listened to; the responses to the Women’s Health Strategy for England from the Department of Health & Social Care found 84% of respondents felt that this was the case.

Independent Advocates for Patients Using Social Care Services<br/>Provides advocacy support to individuals navigating social care services, ensuring their rights and preferences are respected and upheld.<br/><br/>See Section VI.3 for list of entities eligible to utilise any resulting framework, subject to the approval of NOE CPC.

Independent Mental Capacity Advocates<br/>Offers advocacy for individuals who lack the mental capacity to make certain decisions, ensuring their best interests are considered and their voices are heard in decision-making processes.

Independent Mental Health Advocates<br/>Supports individuals with mental health issues by representing their interests, helping them understand their rights, and facilitating their involvement in treatment decisions.

Advocacy for Adult Secure Services<br/>Provides advocacy services for adults in secure settings (such as forensic mental health services), ensuring their rights are protected and their views are represented.

Advocacy for Children and Young People<br/>Delivers advocacy services tailored to the needs of children and young people, helping them to express their views and participate in decisions affecting their lives.

Advocacy for Health Inequalities<br/>Addresses health disparities by providing advocacy services for various marginalized groups, including women, black and minority ethnic communities, gypsies and travellers, the unemployed, the homeless, and individuals with terminal illnesses.