The Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 aims to protect people who may not be able to make decisions for themselves.
It also helps people to plan ahead in case they’re unable to make important decisions for themselves in the future.
Our GO Online: Inspection toolkit brings together recommendations, practical examples, and resources to help regulated providers meet CQC expectations in relation to people’s consent.
PDF - 542KB
A pocket-sized guide containing an overview of the MCA and the five principles that should be followed.
eLearning
The Training Hub by Skills for Care offers the ‘Mental Capacity Act awareness’ eLearning module to help build confidence applying the Act’s principles, assessing capacity and making lawful, person‑centred decisions supported by clear, accurate documentation.
Find out more about the eLearning
NICE decision-making and mental capacity quality standard
This standard guides the workforce on supporting decision-making with people aged 16 and over, who may need help making decisions due to reduced mental capacity.
It is aligned with the aims and principles of the MCA 2005 and relevant Codes of Practice. It should be used in conjunction with these.
View the full details on the NICE website.
The Mental Capacity Act and care planning
The Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) have published a report and related resources that look at the Mental Capacity Act and care planning.
They include key messages promoting human rights, choice and control, care planning, involvement and person-centred care, care planning, liberty and autonomy, monitoring MCA implementation, and a monitoring checklist.
View the resources on the SCIE website.