News: Non Instructed Advocacy and Citizen Advocacy in Lancashire

The Non Instructed Advocacy (NIA) service will provide a specialist independent 'issue-specific', `non-instructed¿ advocacy service for people who lack mental capacity to instruct an advocate with regard to specific health or social care decision(s). This includes anyone aged 18 or over, whose capacity is impaired by a condition such as dementia, a learning disability, acquired brain injury, a physical or medical need, or substance misuse; i.e. any condition that comes within the scope of the Mental Capacity Act 2005, except mental illness. NIA for people with mental health needs is provided for under a separate Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) / MH Advocacy Contract. 

The Citizen Advocacy (CA) service will recruit and support longer-term one to one volunteer advocates for people with long term conditions who are at risk of social exclusion.  Long term conditions include dementia, learning disability, acquired brain injury, physical, medical or mental health need, and substance misuse.  The CA service will support any longer term advocacy relationships to develop into independent CA partnerships wherever possible.

Further information is available at the Council's e-tendering website at www.lancashire.gov.uk/tendering

Providers wishing to tender for this service are required to complete a tender questionnaire via the e-tendering website.

Providers who are already registered on the e-tendering website will be able to access the questionnaire by logging in to the website. Providers who are not currently registered on the e-tendering website will need to go to the above web address and register as a new user.

Questionnaires must be completed and returned electronically via the e-tendering website by 10am on 18^th June 2013.