www.articulateadvocacy.org.uk

Welcome to Articulate Advocacy

Articulate Advocacy CIC is a community interest company managed by Leeds Advocacy.
Articulate Advocacy runs the Leeds Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy Service (IMCA) and the Independent Mental Health Advocacy Service (IMHA) for people with a learning disability living in Leeds (the IMHA service for people without a learning disability is provided by Advocacy for Mental Health and Dementia).

IMCA Service

The Mental Capacity Act 2005 created a new service, the Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy service (IMCA). Its purpose is to help vulnerable people who lack capacity and are facing important decisions made by the NHS and Local Authorities about serious medical treatment and changes of residence for example, moving to a hospital or care home. NHS bodies and Local Authorities have a duty to consult the IMCA in certain decisions involving people who have no family or friends. Local Authorities and NHS Trusts are required, when making important decisions about serious medical treatment or change of accommodation for people who lack capacity, to appoint an IMCA to represent the individual if there is no-one else to support them. Regulations passed in 2006 extended the powers of local authorities and the NHS to instruct IMCAs in certain case involving care reviews and safeguarding cases.

IMHA Service

Amendments to the Mental Health Act 2007 came into force in April 2009. These amendments require the provision of Independent Mental Health Advocates (IMHA's) as an additional safeguard for patients who are subject to the Mental Health Act. This includes people who are ‘sectioned' in hospital, people subject to guardianship, and people subject to Community Treatment Orders. If this person also has a learning disability then they are entitled to an IMHA from Articulate Advocacy.