3 Counties Independent Mental Capacity Advocate (IMCA) Service

The Independent Mental Capacity Advocate Service across Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire is provided by MAP and Eiriol working in partnership. This is a statutory service brought about by the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and is regulated by Independent Mental Capacity Advocates (Wales) Regulations 2007.

The aim of the Independent Mental Capacity Advocate (IMCA) service is to provide independent safeguards for people aged 16 years or older who lack capacity to make certain important decisions and, at the time such decisions need to be made, have no-one else (other than paid staff) to support or
represent them or be consulted.

An IMCA MUST be instructed, and then consulted, for people lacking capacity who have no-one else to support them (other than paid staff), whenever:

an NHS body is proposing to provide serious medical treatment, or

an NHS body or local authority is proposing to arrange accommodation (or a change of accommodation) in hospital or a care home, and the person will stay in hospital longer than 28 days, or they will stay in the care home for more than 8 weeks.

An IMCA MAY be instructed to support someone who lacks capacity to make decisions concerning

Care reviews relating to accommodation where no-one is available to be consulted for people aged 16 or over

Adult Protection cases, whether or not family, friends or others are involved and are aged 18 or over

Referrals can be made by an authorised person and should be made in writing by completing a referral form and sending it by fax, email or post.
Where a verbal referral is made the referral form should be completed within 24 hours.

Please contact the 3 Counties IMCA Service for:
referral forms
information and guidance (Word Document 336KB)
how to make a complaint about the IMCA service