Arrangements for independent advocacy

The request was partially successful.

Kate Mercer Training

Dear Dorset Council,

We would like to request information on which (if any) services you commission to provide Independent Advocacy for people accessing support in the following processes in your area:

- s117 aftercare (under the Mental Health Act)
- Continuing Health Care (CHC)
- Continuing Care
- personal wheelchair budgets
- personal health budgets

Q1. Could you provide details of any service(s) you commission to provide Independent Advocacy Support to adults and children or young people receiving aftercare support under section 117 of the Mental Health Act?

Q2. Could you provide details of any service(s) you commission to provide Independent Advocacy Support to people going through Continuing Health Care processes (adult) or Continuing Care (children)?

Q3. Could you provide details of any service(s) you commission to provide Independent Advocacy Support to people accessing personal wheelchair budgets?

Q4 Could you provide details of any service(s) you commission to provide Independent Advocacy Support to people accessing or using personal health budgets processes (both adult and children)?

We would be grateful if you could tell us which services are commissioned.

And lastly we would be grateful if you could indicate the budget allocated for any of the above types of advocacy?

Yours faithfully,

Katja Huijbers

Freedom of Information, Dorset Council

Thank you for your information request. 

 

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Freedom of Information, Dorset Council

4 Attachments

Dear Ms Huijbers,

 

Information Request – reference no. DC1529

 

Thank you for your information request dated 7^th February, which has been
dealt with under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA).

 

We sincerely apologise for the unacceptable long delay in providing a
response to you.

 

Our response to your request is as follows:

 

With regards to Children’s Services:

We commission Action for Children to provide Independent Advocacy Support.
The current contract value is £132,825 (1^st December 2019 to 30^th
November 2020). This has a wide remit and eligibility criteria.

 

It covers both Advocacy and Independent Visitors so cannot be split
financially as to either category. Where the child/young person falls
within the eligibility criteria, then a referral can be made for
independent advocacy. This service is for children and young people:

·       In the care of Dorset Council - aged 0-18 years

·       Leaving the care of Dorset Council (up to the age of 25)

·       Involved in Child Protection processes (1989 Act) - aged 0-18
years

·       Child in Need (1989 Act) - aged 0-18 years

·       Wishing to make a complaint

·       Transition: Young people with Special Educational Needs or
Disabilities (SEND) undergoing transition from Children's to Adult's
Services (up to the age of 18)

·       Capacity and Best Interests assessments for young people under the
Mental Capacity Act (up to the age of 18)      

 

Under [1]Section 17 of the Children Act 1989, a child will be considered
in need if:

o they are unlikely to achieve or maintain or to have the opportunity to
achieve or maintain a reasonable standard of health or development
without provision of services from the Local Authority;
o their health or development is likely to be significantly impaired, or
further impaired, without the provision of services from the Local
Authority;
o they have a disability.

 

Disability includes blindness, deafness or dumbness, mental disorders and
permanent illnesses, injuries or congenital deformities.

 

With regards to Adult Services:

We have a pan-Dorset Care Act and Generic advocacy service that would be
able to respond to all the issues raised for adults and young people in
transition.

 

o Provision of advocacy for those who require support under the Care Act
2014 to participate with the Local Authority care and support process
o Wider non-stat support to secure rights in obtaining service they need

 

It is divided into 2 lots based on geography with a single point of
access:

Lot 1 – Dorset (including the West and North Dorset, Weymouth and Portland
and Purbeck

Lot 2 – Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch and East Dorset

 

Cost breakdown: DC Annual Contract Value  £155,625.00:

 

Lot 1 – Dorset (Weymouth & Portland, West Dorset, North Dorset and
Purbeck) - Former Dorset County Council £100,000, Dorset CCG £10,000,
Public Health Dorset £2,700

 

Total £ 112,700.00

 

Lot 2 – Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and East Dorset - Former
Dorset County Council £48,000, Former Poole Borough Council £34,400,
Former Bournemouth Borough Council £40,000, Dorset CCG £17,000, Public
Health Dorset £1,300, Bournemouth DAAT £5,000, Poole DAAT £1,000

 

Total £ 146,700.00

 

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