The Care Act 2014
The Care Act 2014 introduces the principles of wellbeing and prevention and places recognition that an individual and/or Carer must be enaled to make decisions regarding their own care and support.
The Care Act places certain duties on local authorities in ensuring that people are involved in the health and social care decisions made about them. This includes assessing their needs and eligibility for publicly funded care and support.
Independent Care Act Advocacy
The Care Act 2014 introduces a legal duty on Local Authorities to provide independent advocacy to those who would have 'substantial difficulty' in being involved in care and support processes and have no appropriate individual(s) who can support their involvement.
Substantial difficulty is defined a person having difficulty with:
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Understanding information
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Retaining information
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Weighing up information
or
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Communicating information
This is usually attributed to a mental or physical impairment.
No appropriate individual to support a person's involvement
There is no-one appropriate to represent the views and wishes of the person as well as facilitating their involvement in certain decisions. If there is a suitable person they must not be acting in a paid role and they must be able and willing to represent that person. For instance if they had a relative who lived quite a distance away they would not be appropriate to facilitate a person's involvement. There are two exceptions to this listed below. *
What can a Care Act Advocate assist with?
An Independent Advocate can support a person involved with:
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a needs assessment
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a carer's assessment
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the preparation of a care and support plan
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a review of a care and support plan
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a safeguarding enquiry or safeguarding adult review
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a child's transition into adult service assessment
Exceptions
An Independent Advocate can also be involved with the following two issues even if there is an appropriate person:
If there is a disagreement between the local authority and the appropriate person and they both agree that an Independent Advocate would be in the best interests of that individual.
An NHS body has made arrangements for the person to be accommodated in a hospital for 28 days or more or a care home for 8 weeks or longer AND the local authority is satisfied that it would be in the best interests of the person to receive Independent Advocacy.
Address:
26 Pampisford Road, Purley, Surrey, CR8 2NE
Disabled access:
Our premises are not fully accessible we do have limited access. For more information please call 020 8668 2210
How to apply:
Yourself, family, friends, health staff and voluntary organisations can make a referral with consent from the individual wishing to use the advocacy service. Call, email or write to us.
Buses:
Two buses run along Pampisford Road: 405 and 455. Many buses run along Brighton Road: 407, 166, 60 and 466
Train/tube:
Nearest station: Purley
Parking:
There is no car parking available