Advocacy contract with NIAMH
Dear Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (Northern Ireland),
Please outline the following in relation to the Belfast Trust's contract with NIAMH mental health charity for advocacy services within the Belfast Trust area;
1. How much per annum was spent on funding this advocacy service during the past 3 financial years?
2.Please outline in detail a comprehensive outline of the exact remit of this service.
3. Please clarify if this advocacy service is restrictive to certain types of mental health issues or if it is completely inclusive to all queries about mental health.
4.How does the Belfast Trust define 'advocacy' within this service ie what is NIAMH paid to do here.
5. Is the jurisdiction only Belfast or is this service funded for all of Northern Ireland?
Yours faithfully,
Joan Corrigan
Hi Joan
Please see attached acknowledgement to your FOI Enquiry.
Many thanks.
Regards
Cathy Shaw (nee Irvine)
Public Liaison Officer
Corporate Communication | Nore Villa | Knockbracken Healthcare Park | Saintfield Road | Belfast | BT8 8BH | Tel: (028) 9504 6609 | Email: [email address]
Hi Joan
Please see attached response to your FOI Enquiry.
Many thanks.
Regards
Cathy Shaw (nee Irvine)
Public Liaison Officer
Corporate Communication | Nore Villa | Knockbracken Healthcare Park | Saintfield Road | Belfast | BT8 8BH | Tel: (028) 9504 6609 | Email: [email address]
Dear Cathy Shaw? FOI Belfast Trust
Can I please ask for further clarification in relation to the FOI request I sent dated 7 Nov 2016 , your reference FOI/14880.
In question one the figure £41,291.20 was given. Please clarify, as my question asked, how much per annum was paid over the past 3 years- that is to say- was it that figure each year or how was that figure broken down if that was the total of the 3 years?
In question three I asked
Please clarify if this advocacy service is restrictive to certain types of mental health issues or if it is completely inclusive to all queries about mental health.
The response started;
This question is ambiguous as it does not define what 'certain types' it refers to.
Can I re ask that question- I define certain types as ALL TYPES of mental health issues within Belfast Trust services, that is to say- for example- and please include all- not just the list below-
personality disorders, depression, bipolar, PTSD, addictions,Schizophrenia, Psychosis, eating disorders etc etc
Thanks.
Yours sincerely,
Joan Corrigan
Hi Joan
I'll look into this and get back to you as soon as possible.
Many thanks.
Regards
Cathy Shaw
Public Liaison Officer
Corporate Communication | Nore Villa | Knockbracken Healthcare Park | Saintfield Road | Belfast | BT8 8BH | Tel: (028) 9504 6609 | Email: [email address]
Hi Joan
In response to your request seeking clarification on two points of our FOI response, I can advise you as follows...
In question one...the figure £41,291.20 was given. Please clarify, as my question asked, how much per annum was paid over the past 3 years- that is to say- was it that figure each year or how was that figure broken down if that was the total of the 3 years?
This is the total figure for three years split broadly by 3.
In question three I asked...
Please clarify if this advocacy service is restrictive to certain types of mental health issues or if it is completely inclusive to all queries about mental health.
The response started;
This question is ambiguous as it does not define what 'certain types' it refers to.
Can I re ask that question- I define certain types as ALL TYPES of mental health issues within Belfast Trust services, that is to say- for example- and please include all- not just the list below- personality disorders, depression, bipolar, PTSD, addictions,Schizophrenia, Psychosis, eating disorders etc etc
In order to answer your question more specifically as requested the Trust would be required to review all of the files of the individuals referred to this service to ascertain the specific disorders. To undertake this exercise would necessitate a manual trawl which would involve a few hundred hours. This would exceed the costs limit specified in the FOI act. Under Section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, the limit has been specified as £450 and represents the estimated cost of one or more persons spending 18 hours in determining whether we hold the information, locating, retrieving and extracting this information. The Trust is not required to comply with the request.
Regards
Cathy Shaw
Public Liaison Officer
Corporate Communication | Nore Villa | Knockbracken Healthcare Park | Saintfield Road | Belfast | BT8 8BH | Tel: (028) 9504 6609 | Email: [email address]
Dear Shaw, Cathy,
Ok
Thanks Cathy
Just to clarify- the figure paid per year is approx £13, 763 per year multiplied by 3 years = approx £41,000 in total, as opposed to 41,000 per year multiplied by 3 years = £123,000 in total.
Yours sincerely,
Joan Corrigan
Dear Shaw, Cathy,
Sorry, but I need to add another part to my response.
I re read the answer to no 5. (copy pasted below) and it does not make sense to me. It states in the first 2 lines that it is exclusive to Belfast, but then in the 3rd and 4th line it says it is open to outside Belfast too. Can I have clarity on this please? It can't be both at the same time?
"NIAMH Advocacy Services in Belfast provide support only to those who are in
receipt of services provided by the Belfast Trust. However as we provide a range
of services to individuals from across the region we also provide advocacy
support to those whose home address may not be Belfast."
Yours sincerely,
Joan Corrigan
Hi Joan
No 5 is both. Whilst the advocacy service is provided in a Belfast ward, service users come from across NI as it's a regional service.
Funding as follows in the last 3 years.
14/15 - £42,612.17
15/16 - £41,369.32
16/17 - £41,291.20.
So that would be a total of £125,272.69 for the 3 years.
Hope this is helpful to you.
Regards
Cathy Shaw
Public Liaison Officer
Corporate Communication | Nore Villa | Knockbracken Healthcare Park | Saintfield Road | Belfast | BT8 8BH | Tel: (028) 9504 6609 | Email: [email address]
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