I am writing under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act (2000). The following questions relate to the duties outlined in the Health and Social Care Act (2012) which require each local authority to make such arrangements as it considers appropriate for the provision of independent advocacy services in relation to its area. I would like to request the following information.

1. The value of the contract your local authority awarded for independent NHS complaints advocacy services in the following financial years:
a) 2019/20 (1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020): 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2020 - £108000
b) 2010/21 (1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021): 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021 - £108000
c) 2021/22 (1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022): 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022 - £108000
d) 2022/23 (1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023): 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023 - £108000
e) 2023/24 (1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024): 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024 - £108000
The block contract that was taken with an external advocacy provider was from 1 July 2019 to 30 August 2024. The costs provided will be the annual costs during the contracted dates rather than the financial years. The contract included all areas of advocacy and not purely NHS or social care complaints, please see list of services below:
• Independent Mental Capacity Advocate (IMCA) / Relevant Persons Paid Representative (RPPR)
• Care Act Advocacy (CAA)
• Individual Health Complaints Advocacy (IHCA)
• Independent Mental Health Act Advocacy (IMHA)
Total value of the contract from 01/07/2029 to 30/06/2024 was £540000.00
£18.30 ph for spot purchase advocacy over the agreed number of cases

2. Does your local authority currently provide or commission a dedicated complaints advocacy service to support people to make complaints about adult social care?
Please see above

3. If so, how much funding was allocated to this service in the following financial years:
a) 2019/20 (1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020)
b) 2020/21 (1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021)
c) 2021/22 (1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022)
d) 2022/23 (1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023)
e) 2023/24 (1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024)
Please see above