Keeping you up to date with reliable mental health research, policy & guidance
In 2010 the Welsh Assembly passed a new piece of legislation called the Mental Health (Wales) Measure, which aims to ensure that people with mental health problems are appropriately cared for. The Act stipulates that assessment and treatment of mental health issues are a legal duty of Local Health Boards and Local Authorities and seeks [read the full story...]
Independent Mental Health Advocates (IMHAs) help patients who are under the Mental Health Act to understanding the position they are in, look after their rights and make the right decisions about their care and treatment. Independent advocacy has been around for many years, but there have been very few evaluations of mental health advocacy to [read the full story...]
The Government have launched a consultation exercise that aims to engage with people who use care and support services, carers, local councils, care providers, and the voluntary sector about the priorities for improving care and support. The consultation will run from today until early December and will feed into the White Paper and the progress report on [read the full story...]
This new best practice guidance from the Department of Health details the procedure for transferring to and from hospital (under the Mental Health Act 1983 in England) any child or young person who is: detained in custody in pursuance of any sentence or order for detention (by a court in criminal proceedings); or remanded in custody [read the full story...]
The Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, which were introduced as amendments to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 on 1 April 2009, are designed to protect vulnerable people against overly restrictive care while they are in hospitals or care homes. This second annual report on Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards uses data provided every three months by English [read the full story...]
There is controversy as to whether compulsory community treatment (known in the UK as community treatment orders) for people with severe mental illnesses reduces health service use, or improves clinical outcome and social functioning. Given the widespread use of such powers it is important to assess the effects of this type of legislation. Researchers from [read the full story...]
Here is a website to bookmark if you have any interest in mental health law and the various pieces of legislation that practitioners need to refer to on a regular basis. The Mental Health Law Online website has detailed sections on the three most important acts: Mental Health Act 2007 Mental Health Act 1983 Mental [read the full story...]
