Mental capacity resources and services

Mental Capacity Act 2005

This At a glance summary presents an overview of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005, which is important to health and social care practice.

Using the Mental Capacity Act

Part of Mental Capacity Act (MCA)

This video explains the key principles of the MCA and how they work in practice. It looks at how the MCA supports everyone to plan for their future, for when they may have impaired capacity.

Mental Capacity Act: using the key principles in care planning

Part of Mental Capacity Act (MCA)

The film looks at the five key principles of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA), and how these can be applied to the care planning process.

MCA: Deprivation of liberty (DoL) in light of the Supreme Court judgment: explaining the 2014 changes

Part of Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS)

This film looks at how the Supreme Court judgement affects people’s working lives in practice, by looking in detail at two real-life case studies.

MCA: Deprivation of liberty (DoL) in light of the Supreme Court judgment: messages for practice

Part of Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS)

This video for health and care professionals looks at how the 2014 Supreme Court judgment on deprivation of liberty affects people working in the area of mental capacity. It looks in detail at two real-life case studies.

What does a good IMHA service look like?

Part of Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA)

A self-assessment tool which enables IMHA providers to self-assess their service within a clear quality framework and help them understand what a good IMHA service looks like. The tool lists ten indicators with suggested evidence sources for self-assessment. The quality indicators covered are: values, independence, role clarity, co-production, relationships to other forms of advocacy provision, staffing, equality and diversity, accessibility of the service, relationship with mental health services, and monitoring and self-evaluation. A third column allows IMHA providers to rate themselves using red, amber and green traffic lights. Providers can then summarises their key strengths and areas for development.

Making a difference: measuring the impact of independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA)

Part of Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA)

An effective Independent Mental Health Advocate (IMHA) service is one that delivers good outcomes for the person (sometimes called the 'advocacy partner' or 'partner') receiving the advocacy support. This report looks at the difference that IMHA services can make to the lives of people subject to compulsion under the Mental Health Act 1983. It provides service users, IMHA providers, commissioners and mental health services with information to discuss outcomes, what they are, how they will know they have been achieved, what performance indicators can be used to measure the effectiveness of services, and how outcomes can be measured.

Improving access to Independent Mental Health Advocacy for providers of mental health services

Part of Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA)

The majority of patients detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 are eligible, under section 130 of the 2007 Act, to access Independent Mental Health Advocate (IMHA) services. However research has shown that less than half of those qualifying for an IMHA appear to be accessing them. This summary and flowchart provide the essential information needed to implement an open access policy. Open access means qualifying patients are automatically referred to IMHA services unless they object. This approach has implications for IMHA service capacity; resourcing; consent and confidentiality. This summary of how to implement an open access process for IMHA services should be considered in conjunction with the Improving Open Access to IMHA flowchart.

10 top tips for commissioners: commissioning Independent Mental Health Advocacy services in England

Part of Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA)

This briefing provides 10 top tips designed to help commissioners to provide good quality Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) services. The tips cover: understanding the role and responsibilities of IMHA; co-production; strategic needs assessment and asset mapping; outcome-based commissioning, quality and cost; meeting diverse needs; engaging with IMHA providers; IMHA and other forms of advocacy; non-instructed advocacy; out of area placements; and links with health service commissioners.

Improving equality of access to Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA): a briefing for providers

Part of Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA)

This summary aims to help Independent Mental Health Advocate (IMHA) providers to open up their service to everyone who has the right to use it. Ensuring equalities within IMHA services means reaching all qualifying patients regardless of their ethnicity, age, gender, disability, beliefs, sexual orientation or any other characteristics protected by the 2010 Equalities Act. It also means taking these characteristics into careful account and developing a service that can understand their impact and meet people's needs in the best possible way.

SCIE resources and services

Mental capacity resources and services