The Mental Capacity Act in practice.
Anyone can conduct a Mental Capacity Assessment. However, context is important, and a professional may be required for complex decisions. This will help ensure assessments are carried out in the correct manner, and that they are valid (i.e. reliable and trustworthy) in order to protect both the assessor, and the person being assessed.
Since launching Mental Capacity Ltd at the start of 2022, we have published a new blog every week to raise awareness around the Mental Capacity Act and help professionals build confidence and develop skills in applying the Act in practice. In this blog, we bring together some of our most popular blogs on how to carry out Mental Capacity Assessments (sometimes referred to as Mental Capacity Tests) to help you quickly and easily find the resources you need.
In this week’s blog we gather together some of the free resources we have been sharing on Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and the forthcoming Liberty Protection Safeguards (LPS).
There are several terms that are used to describe the process of determining a person’s mental capacity. Is it a Mental Capacity Test, or a Mental Capacity Assessment? In this blog, we explore some of the language around the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and how it applies in practice.
As the size of our retired population grows, and our social norms change, we are seeing an increasing demand for care and nursing homes to support those who are not able to have their needs met within the community.
These older adults – indeed many younger adults as well – may have come to these placements through shared decision-making, or through Best Interest decisions made on their behalf. Others may be in care settings as a part of discharge-to-assess models, respite, or as a step-down placement for rehabilitation prior to returning home.
An RPR is a vital role under the Mental Capacity Act (2005), supporting an individual’s inclusion and rights around their Deprivation of Liberties (DoLS). This role is often filled by an unpaid family-member, friend or partner. However, if a family-member, friend, or partner cannot be identified, the supervisory body is required to refer for independent advocacy to complete this role as a paid (professional) RPR.
The Mental Capacity Act is designed to empower a person’s voice, protect their rights and provide safeguarding measures, alongside direction of practice, if a person is determined to lack capacity for a particular decision at a certain time. In this blog, we explore the role of the Mental Capacity Act around future decisions relating to healthcare, finance and assigning an LPA.
When does care become a deprivation for a young person under 18 years of age? When is care ‘necessary’ and how do we define what counts as ‘necessary’? Are a young person’s right so different from that of an adult? These are all questions that some of us wrestle with on an almost daily basis – and yet at the same time, it is evident that in some cases, these questions are not given the attention that they deserve.
This year has seen several quite significant updates in healthcare legislation, with several important changes for the way we treat and care for patients. While these are not all related to the Mental Capacity Act directly, it’s important that we take note of the changes and how they affect our day-to-day work.
Values are essential to help us establish a moral outlook and focus within our everyday practices – without which we lose our sense of identity and purpose.
Here at Mental Capacity Ltd, we have identified three core values to guide us in our mission: Promote, Partner and Protect.