Independent Mental Capacity Advocate (IMCA) service

What is the IMCA Service?

The Independent Mental Capacity Advocate (IMCA) service is central to the working of the Mental Capacity Act. Advocates work with someone who lacks capacity to make certain important decisions, and has no one else who can be consulted, to try and establish their wishes

Hampshire’s IMCA service

The IMCA service in Hampshire is coordinated by Hampshire Advocacy Regional Group (HARG).

HARG is a network of advocacy schemes which provide experienced advocates to work with people who have:

• mental health difficulties
• physical or sensory impairments
• a learning disability

as well as older people, children and young people in transition. They also work with people who lack capacity through other causes.

Hampshire Advocacy Regional Group

There is dedicated information on the HARG website about the IMCA service. They have also produced an IMCA leaflet.

• 17 New Road, Basingstoke RG21 7PR
  Tel: 01256 478999
  Email: imca@hampshireadvocacy.org.uk.
  Website: www.hampshireadvocacy.org.uk

Other local IMCA services

Portsmouth SEAP – South of England Advocacy Projects	Jill.miles@seap.org.uk
Southampton Choices Advocacy	www.choices-advocacy.org.uk
Isle of Wight Solent MIND	54 Henstead Road, Southampton SO15 2DD 023 8033 4977 jchambers@solentmind.org.uk
Surrey West Surrey – Just Advocacy	Dunedin House, 2 The Mews, Wharf Street,  Godalming, Surrey GU7 1NN 01483 527759 Barbara.nurse@justadvocacy.org.uk
West Sussex Advocacy Partners	McMillan House, 54 Cheam Common Road, Worcester Park, Surrey KT4 8RH 020 8330 6644 margaret.sharpe@advocacypartners.org
West Berkshire SEAP – South of England Advocacy Projects (interim until 16 April)	Jill.miles@seap.org.uk
Dorset Dorset Advocacy	3 Princes Street, Dorchester, DT1 1TP 01305 251033 imca@dorsetadvocacy.co.uk www.dorsetadvocacy.co.uk

Which IMCA service to use

The IMCA Service that a service user is referred to is based on the location of the user at the time they need the service. For example, this would be the location of the hospital where the person is an inpatient, even though this is temporary and could be different from where they live. So e.g. inpatients at St Marys Hospital, Portsmouth will need to be referred to the Portsmouth IMCA service.