The Mental Capacity Act

The Mental Capacity Act of 2005 was written to protect and restore power to vulnerable people who lack capacity, and to empower those in health and social care to assess capacity themselves. Everyone working with and caring for an adult (aged 16 and over and living in England / Wales) who may lack the capacity to make particular decisions must comply with this Act and its Codes of Practice. This short course, aimed at health and social care practitioners, provides an overview of the Act and explains the reason for its introduction.

This course can also serve as a refresher for practitioners already familiar with the Act, or for those who are responsible for ensuring staff understand their duties and responsibilities under the Act.

Learning outcomes

You will understand how to comply with the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) and the role of the Care Quality Commission in inspecting and monitoring compliance
The Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) is the Act’s code of practice on what health and social care providers have to do if they think it is in someone’s best interests to be deprived of their liberty or if the person does not have the capacity to make a decision about their care. This course will help you to understand the DoLS and decision-making on behalf of adults who may not be able to make particular decisions.
You will feel empowered to assess capacity and understand the process to follow

Advantages of this course

The primary purpose of the MCA is to promote and safeguard decision-making within a legal framework. Upon completion of this course, you will be able to support people to make decisions for themselves wherever possible and protect those who may lack capacity. This course also considers how to allow people to plan ahead for a time in the future when they might lack capacity.
Website and video resources are used to explain the information further
There is also suggested extended reading that gives both practical information and links to websites to expand knowledge