AHS5098 Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) & Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy (IMCA)

In line with Government and local priorities, ‘No Health Without Mental Health’, the Transforming Adult Social Care Programme and the statutory requirements of the Care Act 2014, the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and NHS Tower Hamlets Clinical Commissioning Group seek to commission a high quality outcome focused advocacy services for people with mental health conditions.

The core task of the services is to support individual service users during any particular episode of care, focusing upon the rights and standards of care provided to qualifying patients and the mental health service users. The services will maximise the potential for people to take control of their lives. Services will aim to support them when they consider and make choices and decisions about their care and treatment in hospital and in the community.

The two services that are being commissioned (either collectively or separately) are: Lot 1 - Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) + Mental Health Advocacy Service

LBTH is inviting expressions of interest from suitably qualified and experienced organisations to tender for the provision of the Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) service and Mental Health Advocacy Service;

• A high quality, recovery outcome focused Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) service to meet the Council’s statutory duties under 43 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 to make arrangements to enable “independent mental health advocates” to be available to support qualifying patients in accordance with section 130A of the Mental Health Act (as amended) and • A non-statutory, inclusive mental health advocacy service (MHAS) for people with mental health problems in Tower Hamlets Lot 2 - Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy (IMCA) / Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) Service / Paid Representative Service

LBTH is inviting expressions of interest from suitably qualified and experienced organisations to tender for the provision of the IMCA, IMCA DoLS, and Paid Representative Service.

The Mental Capacity Act 2005 and subsequent Codes of Practice and Regulations places a various statutory duties on LBTH to ensure an IMCA service is available for people lacking mental capacity to make specific decisions, who either live or are placed within the borough boundaries.

The IMCA Service will build on the current service provision and support some of the most vulnerable residents in our borough. It will work with a range of statutory partners to raise the profile of the service and ensure the service is used appropriately and effectively. The IMCA service provider will be required to obtain the necessary information from service providers and ascertain the feelings, wishes and beliefs of the service user to support decision making in the best interest of the user and represent the user appropriately.