Property and Financial Affairs Mental Capacity Assessments
Property and Financial Affairs decisions are wide ranging and affect many aspects of our lives. They can be decisions such as purchasing a property or how to manage a large sum of money. We are regularly instructed by solicitors, local authorities and individuals who require a Property and Financial Affairs Mental Capacity Assessment to complete a high quality and robust assessment. As experienced Social Workers, we are well placed to complete a Mental Capacity Assessment for you. We have a significant amount of experience as practitioners and have completed hundreds of Mental Capacity assessments since 2009. In addition, we are qualified Expert Witnesses and instructed to complete Property and Financial Affairs Mental Capacity assessments in legal proceedings.
How do you decide if someone lacks capacity?
The assessment process itself involves meeting the person and their network of support to establish their wishes in relation to the decision in question. This is a crucial part of the assessment process. However, the actual assessment framework for this type of decision is contained within the Mental Capacity Act. This ensures that an objective assessment is completed each time and isn’t subject to personal opinion or assumptions about a particular diagnosis or someone’s age. When completing Property and Financial Affairs Mental Capacity Assessments, we adopt best practice principles and adhere to the professional standard of Social Work England, Social Care Wales and the British Association of Social Workers.
How long will the assessment take?
Once instructed, we aim to complete our Mental Capacity Assessment within 14 days. If, however you require an assessment completed urgently, please let us know and we will do everything we can to meet your timeframes.
What happens when a person is assessed as lacking capacity?
If the outcome of the assessment is that the person lacks the mental capacity to make the decision, don’t worry. The assessment process is about protecting people’s wishes and autonomy as much as anything else. If a person lacks capacity to make a Property and Financial Affairs decision, those who help them make decisions (friends, family, attorneys and health and social care professionals) will follow the principles of the Mental Capacity Act and make a Best Interests decision. If the outcome of the assessment is that the person lacks capacity, we can complete section B of a COP3 form if you intend to apply for deputyship. If you would like to find out more about Best Interests decisions, or instruct us to complete one, please don’t hesitate to contact us.