Y2IbEzmT
type: Answer
type: WrittenAnswer
answer has question: FV3EB1sD
answer has answering person: B2VL6iUT
answer text: The information requested is not collected centrally. The vast majority of advocacy and support is not a legal or statutory requirement, but commissioned on a discretionary basis by local authorities and primary care trusts.The Department supported and funded the Advocacy Quality Mark as a social care sector led initiative to promote quality in the advocacy sector. It is an initiative which encourages the advocacy sector to reflect on what quality means to them and their clients in a cost effective manner. The Department provided funding for organisations providing Independent Mental Capacity Advocate services for people who lack the capacity to make certain important decisions, to assist them in attaining the Quality Mark. Many other advocacy organisations have chosen to apply for the Quality Mark to demonstrate that their services are high quality. Advocacy organisations decide themselves whether they wish to apply for the Quality Mark; these are locally made decisions.The Department is committed to the principles of the Compact and pursues a ““compact compliant”” way of working in its business with civil society organisations. The Department strongly supports local authorities signing up to local compact agreements that will ensure commissioning processes for voluntary sector advocacy services are Compact compliant. The Department promotes the principles of full cost recovery and as such, takes the view that administrative costs associated with achieving the Quality Mark should be included in the assessment of full cost recovery. However, local Compact agreements are the responsibility of local authorities, together with other local partners, including local voluntary sector advocacy services.
answer given date: 2012-03-27+01:00
answer has answering body: qjSEa2Ms
written answer has answering body: qjSEa2Ms