The Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy (IMCA) service
The IMCA is an extra safeguard for vulnerable
people in hospitals or care homes who lack the mental capacity to
consent to the care or treatment they need.
Under the Deprivation of Liberty
safeguards, there are a number of
circumstances when The Independent Mental Capacity Advocates
(IMCAs) must act to provide protection for the person at the
centre of the decision making process.
The roles of an Independent Mental Capacity
Advocate (IMCA) are to:
- Safeguard the rights of people who lack capacity.
- Find out about the person's feelings, wishes and beliefs, by
communicating with them as far as possible and by talking to others
involved in their life.
- Remain independent of the decision maker and the
responsible body.
- Have a statutory right to inspect the person's records.
- Make a report to the decision maker on their findings and
maintain confidentiality.
- Have the power to challenge the decision although in practice
this is not likely to be often.
The IMCA does not test capacity and the IMCA
is not the decision maker at any time.
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