Voice and rights charity VoiceAbility free advocacy services are available to support Bedford residents with their health, care and wellbeing decisions.
VoiceAbility believes that everyone, regardless of situation, illness or disability, has a right: to be heard and respected, to have choice, control and freedom, and to be safe from violence, discrimination, harm or abuse.
Sally Hazeltine, team leader for Voiceability, told the Adult Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee (Tuesday, September 3) that Bedfordshire VoiceAbility is a “really busy contract”.
“We receive referrals for both statutory and non-statutory advocacy,” she said.
“The first area we cover is IMHA, also known as Independent Mental Health Advocacy, where the advocate’s role is to help a person detained under the Mental Health Act to understand their rights and options.
“To understand the decisions about treatment and understand the parts of the Mental Health Act which apply to them.
“And to have their views and wishes heard in decisions around their care and treatments and raise any concerns they have. We also do advocacy under the Care Act,” she added.
VoiceAbility also helps with complaints against the NHS, and this is open to anyone making a complaint about an NHS funded service.
“Advocates will help support a person to complain about treatment, and it’s open to them at any stage of that complaints process,” Ms Hazeltine said.
“Our busiest advocacy service in Bedfordshire is our independent mental capacity advocacy.
“This is needed as a result of the person being deemed to lack capacity. in relation to a decision about them.
“To support the person to be involved in the decision and challenge that decision when needed, and to uphold their rights,” she said.
The Committee heard that general advocacy is also available, which could be for child protection from family’s point of view, housing issues or “communicating with professionals”.
“We’ve also recently introduced the general advocacy drop in workshops.
run by our Connections service,” Ms Hazeltine said.
More information on the services VoiceAbility provides can be found online or by calling 0300 303 1660 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm).
By John Guinn
Local Democracy Reporter
