Mental Capacity Act
The Mental Capacity Act will affect you from age 16. Having mental capacity means that you can make decisions about your life.
This information is important for you and those close to you to know.
The Mental Capacity Act:
- aims to support people to make their own choices wherever possible, and
- shows how people can support you to make decisions if you need help.
The Mental Capacity Act tells us:
- every person has the right to make decisions about their life if they can,
- every decision is different. People may be able to make some decisions and not others,
- people can make unwise decisions.
- how to work out if people need help making a decision,
- how to support people to make a decision,
- how to make a decision in a person’s best interests if they cannot do this for themselves, and
- who should be involved in decision making.
This is an assessment of a person’s ability to make a particular decision.
Mental Capacity Assessments asks if a person can:
- understand the information about the decision
- remember the information for long enough to make the decision
- weigh up the options and make a choice
- communicate their decision in any way.
Mental Capacity Assessments ask if we have done everything possible to help the person make the decision themselves. For example, using Easy Read information.
When people cannot make a decision for themselves, then a decision has to be made in their best interests.
‘Best interest’ means that the best choice is made for the person.
The Mental Capacity Act tells us what to think about when making decisions for people.
This includes thinking about:
- information and details about the decision
- whether the decision can wait until the person can make it themselves
- how we could help the person make the decision
- how we can include the person in the decision
- what the person would want
- what other people who know the person think
- what decision offers the person the most freedom
All Learning Disability staff in Cardiff are trained in using the Mental Capacity Act.
- We support people to make their own decisions wherever possible
- We understand how important the views of carers and those close to people are in best interest decisions
If you want more information, please speak to your case manager.
You can find out more about the Mental Capacity Act in this Easy Read guide.
