Camden and Islington advocacy service provides comprehensive advocacy support to people facing challenges, discrimination, or complex decisions about the care they receive.

Everyone deserves to have their rights acknowledged, respected, and protected. Our compassionate and dedicated team works tirelessly to promote equality and fairness within the Camden and Islington community for people who are receiving mental health treatment, or are detained under the Mental Health Act.

We specialise in both statutory and non-statutory advocacy, ensuring people are heard, understood, and empowered within the health & social care system.

Our advocacy services include, but are not limited to:

Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy

When someone is deemed to lack the mental capacity to make certain decisions according to the Mental Capacity Act 2005, we can support them to understand their situation and make choices about the next steps.

Paid Relevant Person's Representation

If a person is subject to a Deprivation of Liberty Safeguarding authorisation in a hospital or care home, it means decisions are made about their care without their consent. If they have no appropriate family or friend willing to act as their formal representative, our advocacy team step in as a Paid Relevant Person’s Representative.

Independent Care Act Advocacy

The Care Act 2014 places a duty on local authorities to ensure someone is at the centre of decision making around their care and support needs. Where the person has no one to support them in these processes, a care act advocate will promote a person’s wellbeing and independence. They will be able to assist with:

• A needs assessment
• A carer’s assessment
• The preparation of a care and support or support plan
• A review of a care and support or support plan
• A safeguarding adult enquiry
• A safeguarding adult review

Independent Mental Health Advocacy

If someone is detained under the Mental Health Act in the Borough of Camden, or subject to a community treatment order or guardianship order, an advocate can explain their rights. If someone is accessing mental health services but are not on a section of the mental health act, they may still qualify for one of our other advocacy services.

Independent NHS Complaints Advocacy

The role of an Independent NHS Complaints Advocate is to help individuals through NHS Complaints process and support individuals through that process.  At Rethink Mental Illness we understand that the process can be very difficult and can sometimes be overwhelming, however our Complaints Advocacy Service is here to help you through that journey should you feel you wish to make a complaint about NHS Care, Treatment or Services.

Our NHS Complaints Advocacy Service is a free confidential service and is independent of the NHS.

Each County or Local Authority in England may have different Complaint Advocacy Services providing services for a particular area which is normally based on where an individual resides rather than where the NHS Service is located.

Our Complaints Advocacy Services provides Complaints Advocacy for Islington and Camden.

Though an complaints advocate can help you with many aspects of an NHS Complaint, we are unable to provide any legal or medical advice.

Community Advocacy

Current Update regarding Community Advocacy in Camden and Islington.

Currently our community advocacy is not accepting any new referrals at the moment and our waiting list is currently closed to new referrals, this is due to high demand.

Therefore there is a pause for community advocacy referrals allows the organisation to prioritize urgent cases and maintain the quality of support for current clients.

If you have any enquiries please contact our information and referral line on:

advocacyreferralhub@rethink.org

or please contact us by telephone on: 03007900559

What Community Advocacy is:

Though our waiting list is currently closed at the moment below is some brief information of what Community Advocacy is:

Our Community Advocacy service would normally help individuals in the community referred to as non-statutory advocacy providing community support to residents, particularly those from excluded and/or marginalised communities who face barriers to services.

Non-statutory advocacy service support residents to participate and engage with services in the public, private and voluntary sector in situations not covered by specific legislation but where there is a need for an advocate.

Our team of expert and compassionate advocates work with individuals to let them be as involved as possible in making decisions that affect them.  Our Advocacy Service can help people take control of their own lives, or act on their behalf to represent their views and wishes, and can help people understand their rights and access the services they need.

Even though our community Advocacy Service is closed at the moment if you have any enquiries please feel free to contact our Advocacy Referral Hub detailed above.