Social Workers' decision-making in relation to MCA assessments
Research type
Research Study
Full title
What factors impact on and inform Social Workers' decision-making, when applying the Mental Capacity Act (2005) to practice?
IRAS ID
261340
Contact name
Jackie Lelkes
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Brighton
Duration of Study in the UK
6 years, 10 months, 1 days
Research summary
When a person’s decision-making ability is called into question an assessment under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) is completed, the outcome of which can have a profound impact on the individual. The assessment determines whether the person can continue to exercise complete personal autonomy, or whether they will be subjected, not always with their agreement, to the will of social workers who will make decisions on their behalf, in their best interests.
The use of the MCA is an increasingly common part of the professional role of social workers'. Research continues to identify the limitations social workers' experience when applying the law to practice, attributing this to a number of factors including a lack of knowledge or a misunderstanding on how to undertake a robust assessment. Other potential problems identified include feeling under pressure, due to the volume of work, limited time to appropriately prepare for completing capacity assessments; a pressure to reduce the risks of harm to individual's, which potentially conflicts with the notion of positive risk taking and allowing an individual to make an unwise decision as outlined in the MCA.
This study seeks to examine how social workers apply the MCA to practice, exploring what factors have the potential to impact on their decision making in relation to their use of the Act. The key goals are:
1. To determine the perspectives of social workers, in relation to how they apply the Mental Capacity Act to practice
2. To explore the elements that influence how social workers think about and apply the Mental Capacity Act to practice.
It is a PhD qualitative study taking a mixed methods approach, including 'walking interviews' and observations of assessments.
Participants in the study with be qualified social workers, and (though not the key focus) service users undergoing a MCA assessment.REC name
London - Brighton & Sussex Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/LO/1899
Date of REC Opinion
17 Feb 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion