Advocacy Services (Hampshire)

About

VoiceAbility offers a range of advocacy services and provides the following in Hampshire:

Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) - Independent Mental Health Advocates (IMHAs) support people with issues relating to their care and treatment when they have been detained (sectioned) under the Mental Health Act. They also help people understand their rights under the Mental Health Act.

Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy (IMCA)- Independent Mental Capacity Advocates (IMCAs) support people who lack capacity to make decisions about their long term accommodation or serious medical treatment and who do not have any friends or family appropriate to consult.

Relevant Person's Representative (RPR) - When a Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) authorisation is in place and there is no suitable RPR, an advocate can take on the role of RPR.

Care Act Advocacy - Independent Care Act advocates support people to understand their rights under the Care Act and to be fully involved in decisions about any care and support they need. This includes local authority assessments, care reviews, care and support planning and safeguarding processes.

Statutory children's advocacy - Specialist advocacy for Looked After Children (including those living in secure children’s homes), Care Leavers, and children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities.

Rule 1.2 Representative - Support if someone is or may be deprived of their liberty in a community or domestic setting.

NHS complaints advocacy - NHS complaints advocates support people to complain about the treatment or care that they or a friend or family member have received from an NHS service. This support is available at every stage of the complaints process.

General advocacy in Hampshire - In Hampshire, Voiceability provides advocacy for adults with support needs that mean they would benefit from advocacy, but who do not fall into the criteria for other forms of advocacy; and advocacy for anyone with a mental health issue who is in hospital or who is eligible to access community mental health services. We also support people with a learning disability and/​or Autism. People who are parents and whose children are subject to child in need or child protection processes and proceedings. People who require advocacy to help them express their views about housing e.g. Communicating with a housing provider to maintain their tenancy / local council on environmental health issues

Learning disability user involvement - involvement of people with learning disabilities in the local Learning Disability Partnership Board, so that their views are heard in decisions that the County Council is making.

To get support for yourself or someone you know, please visit the website to check eligibility.

About VoiceAbility Hampshire & Southampton

VoiceAbility have been supporting people to be heard in decisions about their health, care and wellbeing for almost 40 years. VoiceAbility is an independent charity and one of the UK's largest providers of advocacy and involvement services. They believe that everyone, regardless of situation, illness or disability, has a right: to be heard and respected; to have choice, control and freedom; to be safe from violence, discrimination, harm or abuse. Their services have been running in Hampshire since March 2020. VoiceAbility works with all kinds of people and all ages. Many of their services are specifically for people with long-term conditions such as mental health conditions, dementia or a learning disability. About half of the people they work with are over the age of 60.

Good to know

User Cost/Charge Information
Free to access.