AHS5098 Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) & Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy (IMCA)

In line with Government and local priorities, ‘No Health Without Mental Health’, the Transforming Adult Social Care Programme and the statutory requirements of the Care Act 2014, the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and NHS Tower Hamlets Clinical Commissioning Group seek to commission a high quality outcome focused advocacy services for people with mental health conditions.

The core task of the services is to support individual service users during any particular episode of care, focusing upon the rights and standards of care provided to qualifying patients and the mental health service users. The services will maximise the potential for people to take control of their lives. Services will aim to support them when they consider and make choices and decisions about their care and treatment in hospital and in the community.

The two services that are being commissioned (either collectively or separately) are:

Lot 1 - Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) + Mental Health Advocacy Service

LBTH is inviting expressions of interest from suitably qualified and experienced organisations to tender for the provision of the Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) service and Mental Health Advocacy Service;

• A high quality, recovery outcome focused Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) service to meet the Council’s statutory duties under 43 of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 to make arrangements to enable “independent mental health advocates” to be available to support qualifying patients in accordance with section 130A of the Mental Health Act (as amended) and
• A non-statutory, inclusive mental health advocacy service (MHAS) for people with mental health problems in Tower Hamlets
The service provider will make available an effective independent mental health advocacy service for all qualifying patients within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, including temporary residents and those who are an inpatient in the borough as required under the Mental Health Act.
Patients who are eligible to use IMHA services are:
• People detained under the Mental Health Act (even if on leave of absence from the hospital), but excluding people who are detained under certain short term Sections (4, 5, 135 and 136)
• Conditionally discharged restricted patients
• People subject to guardianship
• People subject to supervised community treatment orders (CTOs)
• Other people, who are informal are also eligible if they are being considered for Section 57 or Section 58A treatment (i.e. treatments requiring consent and a second opinion). This includes people under the age of 18 who are being considered for electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)

The service provider will also provide a non-statutory, inclusive independent advocacy service for informal mental health patients in the hospital and people with mental health needs in the community in Tower Hamlets.

The service is for the residents of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets who meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Informal patients in the mental health wards
• Adult, aged 18 and above, in contact with mental health services

Lot 2 - Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy (IMCA) / Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) Service / Paid Representative Service

LBTH is inviting expressions of interest from suitably qualified and experienced organisations to tender for the provision of the IMCA, IMCA DoLS, and Paid Representative Service.

The Mental Capacity Act 2005 and subsequent Codes of Practice and Regulations places a various statutory duties on LBTH to ensure an IMCA service is available for people lacking mental capacity to make specific decisions, who either live or are placed within the borough boundaries.

The IMCA Service will build on the current service provision and support some of the most vulnerable residents in our borough. It will work with a range of statutory partners to raise the profile of the service and ensure the service is used appropriately and effectively. The IMCA service provider will be required to obtain the necessary information from service providers and ascertain the feelings, wishes and beliefs of the service user to support decision making in the best interest of the user and represent the user appropriately.

The service must provide the following :

• An IMCA to support decision making for people lacking mental capacity as prescribed by the Mental Capacity Act 2005
• An IMCA to represent people as prescribed by the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards
• A Paid Representative to support eligible people deprived of their liberty subject to standard authorisations under the Mental Capacity Act 2005.
• An information service for agencies regarding eligibility for IMCA service
• Raise awareness of the IMCA Service and support training of staff in statutory agencies
• Provide additional advocacy where the IMCA skills will benefit the service user

You will be expected to :

• Recruit suitable staff who can act as an IMCA, are DBS vetted, and who have completed the appropriate qualifications
• Have systems and process for considering eligibility for an IMCA
• Support the decision making process and represent people as required by legislation
• Record information about clients supported and present appropriate reports to the referral person
• Place diversity and equality at the forefront of the delivery of the service including considering the communication needs of different users

The Council is committed to improving the quality of life for both residents and businesses within Tower Hamlets. In line with The Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 the authority will consider how this procurement might improve the economic, social and environmental well-being of the relevant area. In order to achieve this, it is our objective to work with existing and future contractors to secure an appropriate level of community benefits through the procurement process. Detailed guidance and minimum levels of the economic and community benefit applicable to this tender will be available within the tender documentation.

The anticipated contract start date is: Saturday, 01 April 2017


The estimated value of the contract is:
Lot 1 IMHA and MHAS £190,000 - £210,000 Per Annum

Lot 2 IMCA £93,244 Per Annum


For a period of: Three years (36 months) plus an option to extend for two separate periods of twelve months, up to a total of five years (60 months)