Mental Health Measures and other Consultations from an Advocate’s perspective MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCACY PROVIDERS

The Mental Health (Wales) Measure was passed by the National Assembly for Wales in November 2010 and received Royal Approval in December MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCACY PROVIDERS

What is an Advocate? The role of the advocate is to help people communicate with an effective voice, enabling them to influence decisions that affect their lives. Someone who acts with or on behalf of another to establish or promote that person’s rights. MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCACY PROVIDERS

Enable the client to make informed choices Support the client to offer their views at care planning and other meetings Uphold a clients’ rights Support the client to make a complaint An advocate does not give advice An advocate is not a counsellor, mediator or social worker An advocate does not offer befriending An advocate does not police the services (or care homes). MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCACY PROVIDERS

Two Statutory Advocacy Provisions IMCA Independent Mental Capacity Advocates IMHA Independent Mental Health Advocates MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCACY PROVIDERS

The Mental Health (Assessment of Former Users of Secondary Mental Health Services) (Wales) Regulations 2011 The Mental Health (Care Coordination and Care and Treatment Planning) (Wales) Regulations 2011 The Mental Health (Independent Mental Health Advocates) (Wales) Regulations 2011 End of consultation: 16th May 2011 MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCACY PROVIDERS

expand provision of local primary mental health support services ensure all service users within secondary care have a care coordinator and a care plan provide a mechanism for re-access for previous service users expand independent advocacy to all inpatients and all hospital and community sections of the Mental Health Act 1983 MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCACY PROVIDERS

The Mental Health (Assessment of Former Users of Secondary Mental Health Services) (Wales) Regulations 2011 The Measure places duties on Local Health Boards (LHBs) and local authorities to make arrangements which enable individuals who have been discharged from secondary mental health services, but who subsequently believe that their mental health is deteriorating to such a point as to require specialist intervention again, to refer themselves back to those services directly, without necessarily needing to first go to their general practitioner or elsewhere for a referral. MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCACY PROVIDERS

The Mental Health (Care Coordination and Care and Treatment Planning) (Wales) Regulations 2011 The Measure places duties on Local Health Boards (LHBs) and local authorities to appoint an eligible care coordinator for a ‘relevant patient’ (someone for whom secondary mental health services are being provided). MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCACY PROVIDERS

January 2012 Care and treatment plans must be completed on the Welsh Assembly Government forms. Transitional provisions We are proposing that if a service user does not have a care coordinator when these new arrangements come into force, a care coordinator must be appointed within 1 month. MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCACY PROVIDERS

The Mental Health (Independent Mental Health Advocates) (Wales) Regulations 2011 This consultation is about draft regulations relating to independent mental health advocacy under the Mental Health Act The Welsh Assembly Government proposes commencing the expansion of independent mental health advocacy in relation to detained patients in October 2011 and in relation to informal patients at the beginning of In both cases the actual dates are still be confirmed. MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCACY PROVIDERS

Under the Mental Health Act 1983, advocates are currently available for: all patients detained for assessment or treatment in hospital, or under guardianship, or on a community treatment order The advocacy scheme is being expanded to include: patients held under the emergency admission and holding powers of the 1983 Act all (informal) patients in hospital receiving assessment or treatment for a mental health problem MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCACY PROVIDERS

Carers Strategies (Wales) Measure Draft Regulations and Guidance End of consultation: 23rd June 2011 Health within and beyond Welsh borders: An enabling framework for international health engagement End of consultation: 24th June 2011 UK influenza pandemic preparedness strategy End of consultation: 17th June 2011 MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCACY PROVIDERS

All Wales Catering and Nutrition Standards for Food and Fluid Provision for Hospital Inpatients End of consultation: 15th June 2011 Review of Respite Care in Wales End of consultation: 8th June 2011 Consultation on draft Tobacco Control Action Plan for Wales End of consultation: 18th May 2011 MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCACY PROVIDERS

Mental Health Measures and other Consultations HAVE YOUR SAY MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCACY PROVIDERS