Supporting Capacity Assessment

People are presumed to have the ability, or capacity to make decisions about their personal lives. When capacity is called into question, an assessment of capacity may be required. With the Assisted Decision Making Act (ADMA) 2015 the assessment of capacity has moved to a functional approach with capacity being determined for specific matters as opposed to it being an all or nothing situation. 

Communication is central to capacity assessments, so individuals with communication difficulties can be at a disadvantage as a result. My role in relation to capacity assessments includes:

• Involvement in the capacity and decision making assessment itself
• Training of capacity assessors
• Supporting the person with a communication difficulty to maximise their autonomy in decision making.