Local resources for health and social care professionals.
Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) staff resources
The MCA is the law that explains what to do when a person is not able to make decisions for themselves. North East Lincolnshire’s MCA and Deprivation of Liberty policy sets out local expectations about how the law is applied. One of the policy’s aims is to support the development of a legally literate workforce, through use of shared tools and access to a shared programme of learning. This page shares tools, resources and information about training.
Our local policy includes:
- wording to use when relying on the statutory presumption of capacity (Appendix C)
- tools for recording capacity assessments (Appendix D)
- tools for recording best interests decisions (Appendix E and F)
- guidance on prescription and administration of medication without consent (Appendix G)
- practice guidance on adult refusals of care and treatment (Appendix H)
You can read our local MCA policy using this link: North East Lincolnshire CCG NHS.
For speed, you can access some of the tools in the policy using the links below:
MCA Everyday practice prompts
We have created a prompt card to help you apply the MCA to your everyday work, and to make sure that you think about deprivation of liberty issues where necessary. You can read it here: [Prompt Card]. This is a companion document to a prompt card we have created for providers which you can access below: [MCA tools for providers of care in residential, supported living and care at home]
Training
Quest is North East Lincolnshire’s recommended training provider for learning about the MCA and safeguarding. Quest training is designed to support the development of a workforce able to champion rights-based care across a wide range of health and care settings.
Quest offers:
- MCA training pathway The MCA pathway is free to those working in the health and social care sector in North East Lincolnshire with those aged 16+. Further terms and conditions apply.
- Safeguarding training pathway The first session of the adult safeguarding training pathway is free to all working in adult health and social care in North East Lincolnshire. The second session carries a small charge. Further terms and conditions apply.
A training and information map containing useful adult safeguarding resources and training opportunities can be accessed using this link: Safeguarding adults directory
You can read the local Safeguarding Adults Board MCA and Safeguarding training strategy – which sets out local training expectations – using this link: SaferNEL | Adults workforce development – SaferNEL
Tools to help staff embed learning
Practitioner MCA self-assessment tool
Staff can access a practice tool to consider their MCA-related strengths, and identify areas for attention using this link: Combined Practice Audit Tool
Toolkit to use in staff supervision or team meetings
The toolkit offers tips on:
- Using self-assessment to identify areas for development
- Undertaking an MCA-related file review
- Structuring MCA-focused discussions
- Along with a quiz and case study.
Use this link to access the toolkit: MCA Practice Development Toolkit
APPS
Deciding Right App
The Deciding Right app guides staff through the process of making care decisions who lack or may lack capacity for those decisions. The app will not provide an answer, but will help ensure that the way decisions are made complies with the MCA.
Staff can download the app (for Apple devices) using the link: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/deciding-right/id918441387 or using this link (for non-Apple devices): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.indigomultimedia.decidingright&hl=en_GB&gl=US
DoLS (deprivation of liberty safeguards) App
The directors of Edge Training have created an App giving an overview of DoLS and providing easy access to key national resources.
Staff can read more about, and download, the App here: [NEW DoLS APP (edgetraining.org.uk) ]
MCA Mini-series
This animated mini-series, available on YouTube, explores the MCA in a digestible format which is accessible for all levels. Each animation in the series explores an element of the MCA.
- Episode 1 – Let’s Talk: advanced care planning – Advance Decisions to Refuse Treatment and Advance Statements.
- Episode 2 – Whose decision is it anyway?: who can make a best interest decision on behalf of an individual who lacks the relevant capacity.
- Episode 3 – The Court of Protection: what is the Court and what does it do? When should applications be made to it?
- Episode 4 – Liberty Protection Safeguards (LPS): what are the LPS and when will they come into force? Why and how will the law change? NB a delay to the LPS has been announced since this episode of the mini-series was made.
- Episode 5 – Preparing for Liberty Protection Safeguards (LPS): find out about North East Lincolnshire’s preparation for LPS. NB a delay to the LPS has been announced since this episode of the mini-series was made.
- Episode 6 – Necessary and proportionate: what do the terms ‘necessary’ and ‘proportionate’ mean in the context of a deprivation of liberty.
- Episode 7 – Deprivation of Liberty: all things deprivation of liberty!
- Episode 8 – Mental Capacity: hints and tips to support practitioners when considering capacity, as well as dispelling some common myths!
- Episode 9 – Relevant Person’s Representative RPR: exploration of an important role within Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) authorisations’.
Access the mini-series using this link – MCA mini-series
MCA and Safeguarding newsletter
The newsletter offers updates on case law (judge-made law) and local policy, as well as tips for best practice from Ombudsman decisions, articles, expert guides and reports.
Sign up for the newsletter using this link: MCA & Safeguarding Adults e-newsletter
Help for providers of health and care
Health care professionals
If you are working with individuals with a learning disability or others who may have difficulty with communication, publications from Beyond Words may be useful: Stories for health & social care – Beyond Words (booksbeyondwords.co.uk). Beyond Words creates word-free picture stories that help people understand and communicate their feelings on a range of health topics such as going to the dentist or having a vaccination.
Social care professionals
Practice Framework
What is a practice framework? It’s a collective belief system and value set that underpins the way we do professional practice in North East Lincolnshire. It’s rooted in the TLAP (Think Local Act Personal) “I” and “We” statements and is founded from the wellbeing principles within the Care Act.
Why do we have a practice framework? It sets the standard for the work that we do and is a benchmark for best practice. It aims to provide greater consistency in our approach and underpinning ethos across North East Lincolnshire and ensures people know what to expect when working with us.
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Page last updated: 13 Dec 2023