Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy Service

Age Concern Cheshire is one of nine voluntary organisations who will be providing IMCA Services in Cheshire from 1 April 2007. We will be working with older people aged 65 and over who meet the criteria for the service.

What is the IMCA Service?

The IMCA Service is a new statutory advocacy service, introduced in the Mental Capacity Act 2005. This is a new piece of legislation to empower and protect people who may lack capacity to make decisions for themselves. For example people with dementia, learning disabilities, mental health problems, stroke or head injuries, who may lack capacity to make certain decisions. Additional information about the Act and its principles can be obtained from the Department for Constitutional Affairs and some useful information booklets can be downloaded from this site.

The purpose of the IMCA Service is to help particularly vulnerable people who lack the capacity to make important decisions about serious medical treatment, changes of accommodation, adult protection cases and some care reviews. The Service is available to those people who have no family or friends whom it would be appropriate to consult about those decisions.