1. Project team Michelle Moore Stef Lunn

2. The MCA and DoLs Team have initiated a Care Home’s Project with a number of local providers, identified largely via CQC or Local Commissioners. The project has been called ‘mentoring’ and seeks to work with frontline workers to raise levels of interest and confidence by simple round table discussion using real life examples.
The mentoring has taken place in the care home environment at flexible times to minimise disruption to people living in such homes, and to offer opportunities to those working night shifts.

3. Managers have also been encouraged to share resources which have been sent to them and to talk about ‘MCA Everyday’. To make use of best practice research around dementia care for example.
Additionally managers have been encouraged to network with one
another and to work in partnership with the Office of The Public Guardian to offer presentations to Carers and family members about Lasting Powers Of Attorney
Managers are the catalysts for change , to create an environment where the Principles of MCA, captures every day choice and decisions; the walk in my shoes approach.

4. Views from the manager….
The background to our involvement
What has changed as a result
What suggestions we would give to other providers

5. Feedback from the Manager
“We are sorry that we can’t be with you this morning but hope you all have an enjoyable day.
This project has had a massive influence and was a turning point for us. We needed to improve and upskill the knowledge of our staff around the Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty safeguards.  When we received an from the project, we grabbed the opportunity and it has become a good partnership.
We have had 4 sessions, so far, of around 12 members of staff each time.  The project was very flexible with the times of these sessions, allowing for us to bring in staff a little earlier for their shifts.  Not one member of staff has come out of these sessions without a positive comment.  The feedback we have had from them has been marvellous.  This is because the project ran the sessions in such a way that the staff were included, even throwing in a quiz.  All staff were given pocketsize prompt cards which empower staff with easy access to bullet point knowledge as a point of reference.  Using these prompt cards are enabling us to have on the spot discussions with staff around each Principle and how they may be putting these into practice within their daily work.  For instance; “always consider any action taken is made in the residents’ best interests”.  We are asking them to show examples which allows for them to re-affirm their practice.  We are now having conversations with our staff daily, about depriving a resident of their liberty in ways that prior to the sessions, they hadn’t considered.  The project brought an understanding of how Dols present on a daily basis for staff to now consider and reflect on how they are already promoting dignity and choice.
We have two new Deputy Managers who started with us shortly after the project made contact with us.  They have spent time with the project which has also supported us with improving our paperwork for the care plans, ensuring we are including the appropriate things into our Best Interests document and Capacity assessment.
We are very grateful to Birmingham and South CCG for offering this support to us and it is forming part of our progression and improvements.

6. Mental Capacity Easy Guide Principles and Assessment
There’s More to Capacity Than Cognition
If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.’ –
Albert Einstein

7. Five guiding principles
One
An assumption of capacity.
Every adult has the right to make their
own decisions and must be presumed to have
capacity unless it is proved otherwise

8. Two
Supported decision making, or Maximising capacity
People must have all practicable
support to make a decision before
anyone concludes that they can’t.
Think about language, pictures, prompts etc

9. Three
Unwise decisions do not mean a person lacks
capacity.
People can’t be treated as lacking capacity
because they make what others might regard
as unwise decisions

10. Four
Act in the persons best interests.
Anything done for or on behalf of someone
who lacks capacity must be done in their best
interests and must take note of what decision
that person would have made themself

11. Five
Less restrictive option.
Any action we take on behalf of people without
capacity should generally be the option which
least interferes with their rights and freedom
of action.

12. It doesn’t matter in which order we remember the Principles, for many this is the easiest prompt!
Presumption of Capacity
Less Restrictive Options
Unwise Decisions
Maximise Capacity
(B)est Interests
Pull Out Your Plumb !!!

19. All of our resources available from July onwards……