Independent Advocacy Service for Adults with Health and Social Care Needs

Westmorland and Furness Council came into being on 1st April 2023. It is England’s third largest unitary authority by geographical area, and it’s more sparsely populated this presents challenges in terms of sustaining and delivering services and requires innovating approaches and continuous improvement.

The Council cares and believes everyone matters and will strive to ensure that citizens can gain access to the right service, in the right place at the right time.

Local authorities have a responsibility to ensure the provision of professional independent advocacy under the terms of:

• The Care Act 2014 and the Care and Support Statutory Guidance for

independent advocates for people using social care services.

• The Mental Capacity Act 2005 and its Code of Practice for independent mental

capacity act advocates.

• Mental Health Act 1983 and its Code of Practice for independent mental

capacity act advocates.

Best practice guidance (NICE 2022) states that advocacy providers should aim to support continuity by offering people the same advocate for different types of Advocacy. If this is not possible, they should ensure that systems for handover are in place that are not reliant on a new referral.

Local authorities must make appropriate arrangements for independent advocacy services to provide assistance to people making or intending to make complaints as described in the Health and Social Care Act 2012.