FAQ

Advocacy services ensure that individuals who need support to express their views, access services, and secure their rights receive independent representation. The council has a legal duty to provide advocacy under key legislation, including:

• The Care Act 2014
• The Mental Capacity Act 2005 (including Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards – DoLS and Relevant Person’s Paid Representatives – RPPRs)
• The Mental Health Act 1983 (amended 2007)
• The Health and Social Care Act 2012.

The council commissions two statutory advocacy services to provide advocacy to fulfil its duties:

• POhWER - is an integrated statutory advocacy service covering Northeast London. This service supports residents in Tower Hamlets, including those placed outside the borough. Additionally, residents living outside Northeast London (England, Scotland, or Wales) have access to advocacy support to ensure continuity of care.

• Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) service – is commissioned in partnership with NHS Northeast London ICB, alongside a non-statutory Mental Health Advocacy Service (MHAS). This service, delivered by Mind in Tower Hamlets, Newham, and Redbridge, supports informal patients in mental health wards and adults in contact with mental health services.

Our priorities

• Provide high-quality, person-centred advocacy that protects residents’ rights and independence.
• Support individuals to feel more in control of their mental health and wellbeing.
• Ensure flexibility and responsiveness, including out-of-borough placements.
• Offer advocacy in multiple community languages to meet diverse needs.
• Speed up access to advocacy, ensuring timely support and allocations.
• Improve service user satisfaction and demonstrate the impact of advocacy.
• Strengthen safeguarding practices, including regular contact for DoLS cases and care review requests.
• Collaborate to ensure efficient service delivery and ongoing improvements.

Market opportunities

The PohWER statutory advocacy service will be re-procured in winter 2025, with a new contract starting on 1 July 2026. Moving forward, we will continue using a combination of block and spot purchasing to ensure flexibility and cost-effectiveness.

We believe that prevention is key to improving outcomes and reducing inequalities. Our Adult Social Care Strategy 2021: Improving Care Together focuses on:

• Raising awareness of available social care and support services.
• Providing clear, accessible information.
• Encouraging early intervention and social connections.
• Promoting access to health services and nutritious meals.
• Empowering individuals to manage their own needs where possible.

Under the Care Act 2014, we are legally required to provide information, advice, and advocacy to help residents navigate social care. Our voluntary and community sector partners play a key role in delivering this support, ensuring inclusive and preventative services.

Our services include:

Tower Hamlets Connect

A partnership of eight voluntary and community organisations delivering information, advice, and advocacy to support adults in need. Services include general and specialist advice (health, social care, housing, welfare, benefits, consumer rights, etc.) and is the first point of contact for all adult social care enquiries.

Email: enquiry@towerhamletsconnect.org
Telephone: 0300 303 6070

LinkAge Plus (For residents aged 50+)

Supporting older adults to maintain their independence and wellbeing through early intervention activities.

Services include:

• Outreach support for isolated and vulnerable older residents.
• Information, referrals, and practical assistance (e.g. help with official forms, benefit applications, and council tax discounts).
• Daily social and physical activities (e.g. yoga, falls prevention, coffee mornings, walking groups, days out).
• Health promotion (awareness campaigns on heart disease, diabetes, vaccinations, cancer screenings, smoking cessation, etc.).
• Employment and volunteering opportunities for older residents.
• Partnerships with other organisations to expand services.
• Advocacy and strategic influence, ensuring older adults have a voice in shaping services in Tower Hamlets.

Email: Linkageplus@toynbeehall.org.uk
Telephone: 0207 392 2913

Mind Connecting Communities

We jointly commission with NHS North-East London Integrated Care Board a prevention and early intervention recovery and wellbeing service which is delivered by Mind in Tower Hamlets. Connecting Communities support adults with lived experience of mental health issues to improve their overall health and wellbeing, reduce social isolation and manage their own personal recovery journey.

Services include:

• An information, advice and navigation service, providing immediate assistance with a range of issues such as emotional support, self-care, mental health advocacy, support to access legal, financial, counselling and welfare services.
• A one-to-one support service delivered by recovery workers for up to a year- supporting people to meet their recovery goals, prevent crisis and maintain independence.
• A specialist welfare benefit and housing advice service supporting people with welfare benefit forms, money management, landlord and neighbour disputes and rehousing needs
• A programme of daily groups and activities, designed by and for experts by experience to support individual journeys. Current groups include the Hearing Voices group, Men’s Shed, Somali group, coping with life group.
• A dedicated peer development network for those interested in sharing their experiences and also developing skills and training towards longer term employment.

Market opportunities
The voluntary and community sector plays a vital role in delivering preventative services alongside the NHS and council teams. We are committed to:

• Supporting a diverse range of organisations to ensure inclusive service delivery.
• Co-producing innovative services with local partners.
• Strengthening referral pathways and signposting to community resources.
• Developing joined-up care models that integrate family, peer support networks, and community-based services.

Assistive technology (AT) helps people with disabilities, older adults, and those with health conditions live independently, stay safe, and stay connected. From mobility aids like wheelchairs and walking frames to communication devices, hearing aids, and smart home adaptations, assistive technology enhances the quality of life for our residents.

Currently, most assistive technology provided in Tower Hamlets is low-tech, such as grab rails, but we are expanding into high-tech solutions, including voice-activated home controls. As part of the Adult Social Care Strategy 2021 – Improving Care Together, we are committed to increasing the use of AT to improve outcomes for residents.

Future plans and opportunities

During 2025/26 we will be looking to commission a partner to support us to transform our technology enabled care offer for residents.

We will be seeking to work with suppliers of innovative technologies that support residents to be independent, maintain wellbeing and exercise choice and control. 

At the time of the most recent census in March 2021, Tower Hamlets had the fastest-growing population of any local authority area across England and Wales. Between 2011 and 2021 the local population grew by 56,200 (22.1%) to 310,300. In 2011 the population was 254,096. Tower Hamlets was the most densely populated borough in England with 15,695 residents per square kilometre compared to an average of 424 people per square kilometre in England – that is over 37 times higher than the mean average population density for England.

The median age in Tower Hamlets was 30 – the youngest of any area in England and Wales. The borough had the smallest proportion of older people aged 65+ in England and Wales. The most common countries of birth other than the UK were Bangladesh, Italy, India, China and France. 14% of residents were born in a current European Union country. Population turnover is high compared to elsewhere with more than a fifth (20.8%) of residents having lived somewhere else a year prior to the census.

At 34.6%, Tower Hamlets has the largest Bangladeshi population in England and Wales and the largest Muslim population (39.9%) in England and Wales.

7.2% of adult residents were Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Other and 1% had a gender identity different to their sex registered at birth.

62.7% of all residents in employment were in managerial, professional or associate professional occupations but 46,000 adults have never worked.

Tower Hamlets has a high proportion of households who rent, both from social landlords and from private landlords, and the proportion of owner occupiers is the lowest in England and Wales. 16% of households were overcrowded (had too few bedrooms for their needs).

Two thirds of households do not have access to a car or van, one of the lowest levels of car ownership in England and Wales.

12.9% of residents had a disability and 25.7% of households had at least one disabled person living within them.