VoiceAbility
VoiceAbility is the provider of Independent Mental Health
Advocacy (IMCA) for the City of London. The IMCA Service is
for people who are not able to make decisions for their own life
and need help to express their views.
Visit the VoiceAbility website
www.voiceability.org/
From 2 April 2007, Local Authorities and NHS bodies have
had a duty to instruct an IMCA to support an individual if they
meet the criteria as laid out in the Mental Capacity Act
(2005). This can include
- People with dementia or mental ill health
- People with learning disabilities
- People with physical disabilities
- People who have had a stroke
- People with acquired brain injuries
- People who are unconscious or in a coma
An IMCA must be instructed where
- There is a decision to be made regarding either serious medical
treatment or change of accommodation.
and
- The person has no close family or friends to represent their
views
and
- The person has been deemed by the Decision Maker not to have
capacity to make that decision in accordance with the assessment of
capacity as defined in the Act.