Non-Statutory Advocacy - Mary Seacole House

Tender description

A short term funding gap has arisen due to anticipated funding from the CCG no longer being available due to the pandemic. A small contract with Mary Seacole House has existed for many years. An exemption is required to enable the service to continue for a period of time to enable alternative grant funding to be sourced. Immediate termination of the service would result in support being terminated mid-case and with no other services able to support these people, of whom 50% are from the BAME communities as such, would be significantly adversely affected. Mary Seacole House offers a broad non-statutory advocacy service that can support service users with a range of different issues, particularly supporting people with mental health needs. Contractual arrangements are due to expire, but it is recommended that the service be funded to continue for the duration of the current financial year. An Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) has been undertaken in order to assess what impact the decommission of this service could have on individuals with characteristics that are protected by the Equality Act 2010. Mary Seacole House is an established organisation, with a reputation for its work within BAME communities. In 2018/19, 48% of Mary Seacole House’s advocacy clients reported themselves to be non-white. Evidence shows that the BAME community is marginalised in terms of mental health – the risk of psychosis is seven times higher than for white people (Fearon, Kirkbride, Morgan Psychological Medicine 2006) and they are four times more likely to be detained under the Mental Health Act (NHS MHA stats 2017-18). The proposal to continue with delivery of a BAME targeted advocacy arguably meets the criteria of the current spending freeze, as it supports the Council’s duty to make reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010 for individuals that have a protected characteristic. As stated above, the BAME community are facing greater health risks during this pandemic. Potential users of non-statutory advocacy services from BAME backgrounds are also likely to suffer from ‘multiple discrimination’ through additional factors such as mental health conditions or disabilities. Therefore, funding Mary Seacole House to support these individuals at this time will contribute to reducing the wider health inequalities within Liverpool. This has been discussed and received initial approval by Adult Services SMT.