Assessing Mental Capacity in Social Care

Assessing Mental Capacity in Social Care
Intrepid Media/Leicester City Council

Star rating: 3/5

Not so long ago social care training videos consisted of some iffy camera work recorded onto VHS tape, writes Mark Drinkwater. Thankfully, this DVD, produced by professional documentary film-makers Intrepid Media, has high production values and interactive features so viewers can easily find relevant sections.

Setting out the Mental Capacity Act 2005 two-stage test to assess for lack of capacity, the DVD uses three scenarios. These case studies tackle weighty issues such as using restraint, unwise decision-making and the duty to make a best interests decision. Each scenario is discussed afterwards by a panel of social care professionals.

Some thought has been given to the background graphics and the film locations and these three short films bring alive the MCA and the statutory requirement to establish a lack of capacity prior to making a decision on someone else’s behalf. And a wide range of people were involved in making the film, including service users from Leicester Council’s Better Jobs for Disabled People project.

Coming in at just over 20 minutes, professionals looking for a comprehensive training package may be a little disappointed. But how many times have we felt we have squandered a whole day on a training course that could have been dealt with by a short DVD?

Mark Drinkwater is a community worker in Southwark, south London