Mental Capacity Toolkit
- About the Toolkit
- Launch Event
- How did we get here?
- Downloads
- Related Publications
- Helpful Resources
Demographic changes have led to increasing numbers of people living with conditions which may impact on their decision-making capacity, and as such it is vital that professionals are confident in their understanding use of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. This toolkit brings together information from a range of professionals working in the field of mental capacity to provide a comprehensive guide to practice.
To find the toolkit, click here: https://mentalcapacitytoolkit.co.uk/
Historically, NCPQSW have created many successful, physical workbooks for practitioners but we wanted to develop this further and make something that would offer more and that could be disseminated easily in Covid times.
The toolkit sections are broken down to cover all areas of the MCA and within these sections, we have split the content up into digestible sections. Each of the sections includes ‘key learning points’, ‘reflective exercises’, ‘references’ and a quiz. The toolkit also included talking heads, which were provided to us by various different contributors, including practitioners, experts by experience and academics– we were, and are, keen to get as many voices involved as possible. We have also used images and design to make the written content more digestible and memorable.
The content for the tool was provided by our expert team:
Michael Lyne: Registered Social Worker and Mental Nurse and Programme Leader for our Mental Capacity Act (MCA) programme, as well as our MA Advanced Mental Health Practice (AMHP).
Dr Sally Lee: Registered Social Worker and Senior Lecturer on our (BA) Social Work programme
Professor Lee-Ann Fenge: Registered Social Worker and Professor of Social Care and Director of the Centre for Seldom Heard Voices at Bournemouth University.
You can find lots of information about everyone who has been involved in the tool on the ‘Contributors’ page. You can also find a ‘Glossary, which includes a list of key definitions of words that relate to the MCA.
On Friday 24th September 2021, saw around practitioners and Bournemouth University staff come together to celebrate the launch of this new toolkit.
The day started with an introduction into the NCPQSW and Centre for Seldom Heard Voices wider work and resources by Professor Fenge before Mike Lyne took delegates through the context of past and current mental capacity work at BU with a short tour of future developments. Dr Lee and Dr Debbie Slate then introduced delegates to the research themes and the detail of the project.
Dr Mel Hughes, co-director of the Centre for Seldom Heard Voices and Stevie Corbin-Clarke from the project team followed by discussing a project that they have been working on with the charity National Voices, looking at how the introduction of remote service models during the Covid-19 pandemic has affected vulnerable people and those without internet access.
After lunch and a warmup quiz, Emily Rosenorn-Lanng introduced the online toolkit and encouraged delegates to log on and have a “play”, and to provide the project team with immediate feedback. Comments included, “I like the visual aspect of the tool” and “I really like the reflective nature of the tool and the questions it asks” and “the quizzes are great!” Suggestions for further developments were also made with the addition of a search function being a particular desire, which the project team hope to be able to provide this week. Another item on the wish list was the ability to print out a certificate of completion for CPD purposes.
To download all of the resources from the event, please click here: https://ncpqsw.com/events/mental-capacity-toolkit-launch-2021/
The National Centre for Post-Qualifying Social Work and Professional Practice has produced a series of brief guides to help all health and social care professionals navigate through and apply the principles of the Mental Capacity Act for decisions regarding treatment and care , during the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond.
The set of five guides from the NCPQSW covers the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act for individuals who, either do not have or have reduced capacity to consent to decisions regarding their treatment and care.
It also includes information around Advanced Decisions to Refuse Treatment (sometimes referred to as living wills) reminding all clinicians that advanced decision- making should be done with the person fully engaged in the process and not to the person, or for the person.
The guides have been distributed by NHS England to all primary care and acute hospitals and will also support care and decision-making in nursing and care homes.
The National Centre for Post-Qualifying Social Work and Professional Practice has produced a series of brief guides to help all health and social care professionals navigate through and apply the principles of the Mental Capacity Act for decisions regarding treatment and care , during the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond.
