Advocacy
Our Advocacy services offer free, independent, professional and confidential support.
We offer free, independent, professional and confidential support.
Advocacy is taking action to help you secure your rights, make your views and wishes heard, and support you to obtain the services that you need. Our advocates can also help to ensure that you have all the information that you need and to make sure you understand information provided, so that you can make decisions about the things that affect you. The service can be accessed by telephone, online, email and in person.
What your advocate can do:
Talk with you to find out what you think and what you want
Help you to access services
Provide relevant information to help you consider your options
Help you to ask for changes to your care or treatment
Support you to prepare for meetings or appointments
Help you to tell people what you want or need
What your advocate will not do:
Give you advice or tell you what they think you should do
Talk to people about you without your permission
Make decisions about you on your behalf or about what they think is in your best interests
Withhold information about you
Speak for you unless you ask them to
Independent Mental Health Advocacy Service (IMHA)
Are you receiving mental health treatment in Hospital? Are you under section and want to know about your rights? Do you want more information about treatment options? Do you want support at meetings to get your views heard?
If so, an Independent Mental Health Advocate (IMHA) could help you. The Independent Mental Health Advocacy service is a specific type of advocacy service provided to qualifying patients under the revised Mental Health Act 2007.
We will not make judgements but help you to be informed about your care and treatment options and your rights whilst in hospital so that you can make better informed decisions and have your voice heard.
The Brighton & Hove IMHA service operates Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm within Millview Hospital and residential/community settings where required. You can contact the service by:
Telephone: 01273 66 69 50
Email: info@mindcharity.co.uk
Who is the service for?
Anyone detained or sectioned under the Mental Health Act
Anyone on a Community Treatment Order or conditional discharge
Anyone subject to guardianship
If you are an informal patient likely to be detained
Any patient discussing serious treatment such as neurosurgery or ECT for anyone under 18
If you are an informal or voluntary patient you may still be able to see an advocate so please get in touch
What can we do?
Provide you with information on the Mental Health Act, how it affects you, and your rights
Help you get information about and understand any treatment you are being offered and given
Support you and represent your views at ward rounds, tribunals and meetings
Help you make a complaint or challenge a decision about your treatment
Support you to be more involved in the decisions about your care
Our Community Advocacy Service in Brighton and Hove can advocate for you on any health & social care related issues. This can include issues relating to mental health support. All our advocacy services are independent from other mental health or health and social care services. We do not share information with other agencies without your permission unless you or someone else is at risk.
We will not tell you what to do or make judgements but help you to make choices and say what you want from services.
Who can use this service?
Adults with mental health issues
Adults with an undiagnosed mental health condition having difficulties accessing mental health services
Adults living in Brighton & Hove
Adults in a mental health unit but not detained under the mental health act (informal or voluntary patients)
The Community Advocacy Service is open Monday – Friday from 9:00am to 5:00pm although appointments can be requested out of hours if needed. You can contact the service by:
Telephone: 01273 66 69 50
Email: info@mindcharity.co.uk
