Challenge Guidance
This guide for advocates, created by VoiceAbility, provides comprehensive information to support professionals to help individuals to decide on the most appropriate route to take to challenge decisions.
Challenge Guidance
The Challenge Guidance will help advocates to develop a ‘tool-kit’ of different approaches in order to get the best possible outcome for people depending on their views and situation. The Guide will be an important reference for all practitioners across the health and social care sectors as well as for friends and family members who often take on the crucial role of supporting people to raise their own concerns, or challenge decisions on their behalf, where necessary.
The guide provides essential reference materials, case examples and references to relevant Articles within Acts and Statutory Guidance; and aims to increase the knowledge and confidence of those challenging decisions in often, very complex situations.
The Guidance provides detailed information on the spectrum of methods to resolve issues including:
- Taking an informal approach to challenge; when this is most appropriate and the skills required to be effective, including negotiating and influencing;
- Formal routes to challenge; under the Mental Capacity Act 2005; Mental Health Act 1983; and Care Act 2014 as well as formal complaints processes and judicial review.
VoiceAbility worked closely with Empowerment Matters, Irwin Mitchell LLP, Dr Lucy Series and Steven Richards from Edge Consultancy and Training to produce the Challenge Guidance, with substantial advice and input from advocates at VoiceAbility.
