IMCA involvement in accommodation decisions and care reviews

Agreeing timescales

Elsewhere in this guide the importance of early IMCA instruction has been identified. This is to give the person the maximum opportunity to be supported and involved in the decision. After instruction the decision-maker and IMCA should agree the date by which the IMCA should make their representations. This is the same period in which the IMCA will need to submit a report before final decisions are made about the person's accommodation or the care review is completed. The date agreed should balance the following factors:

• the person having a good opportunity to be supported and represented by the IMCA
• the risk of delaying decisions having a potentially negative impact on the person (e.g. a vacancy in a suitable service going to someone else)
• the competing priorities of both the decision-maker and the IMCA service.

In some cases it will be necessary to renegotiate the agreed timescale. Timescales for report submission may be included in local IMCA engagement protocols agreed with the commissioning agency or agencies.