In Court of Protection (CoP) cases across the past few years there has been increasing reference and cautionary notes regarding professionals working in ‘silos’. This has been discussed by professionals such as Local Government Lawyer (2020) and Barrister, and honorary KC, Alex Keene (2021, 2024). This is a very interesting and thought-provoking topic, that we will try to explain to give readers some important context.
Evidence based practice is essential in healthcare, and indeed many other sectors. It provides proof of impact, or outcome, through careful assessment and comparison in controlled environments. In today’s blog, we will examine a recent systematic review of the field, published in the journal Health Expectations looking particularly at the barriers to supported decision-making that the paper identifies
Within the realm of Mental Capacity, when we talk about ‘supported decision-making’, this refers to any form of assistance given within the decision-making process. This may include the provision of relevant information, or even providing education around a topic to help someone make a choice.
We all make many thousands of micro-decisions on a daily basis, from the way we make a cup of tea to what we watch on TV. However, when it comes to decision making, the Mental Capacity Act (2005) is ‘decision specific’. This means that it relates to a specific decision made at a specific time. It does not refer to decision-making more broadly. This raises the question: how specific do we need to be when we assess capacity?
It’s estimated that the average person makes around 35,000 decisions every single day. While this may seem a huge number, many of these are ‘micro decisions’ that we make without even thinking; the sorts of things that might have required great effort during childhood, but which in adulthood require barely any conscious effort at all.