Feature | Regular MCA | Advanced MCA |
|---|---|---|
Purpose | Standard capacity assessment tailored to a specific decision (e.g., LPA, Will, Finance, Health & Welfare). | Standard capacity assessment tailored for high-risk individuals or those with complex financial/psychosocial situations. |
Ideal For | Most everyday decisions and legal matters where capacity needs to be determined. | High-risk cases, likely to be contested, or involving large estates and possible undue influence. |
Risk Factors Considered | General mental capacity concerns. | Explicit focus on:
- Contested reports
- Financial vulnerability and undue influence
- Family conflict
- Cognitive decline
- Suspicion of exploitation or abuse |
Financial Context | Suitable for clients with modest or typical financial arrangements. | Tailored for clients with substantial assets (money, property, investments, businesses). |
Assessment Format | One visit: decision-specific capacity assessment. | Two visits:
Visit One: Psychometric Evaluation
- Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA): Provides an objective measure of cognitive function at the time of assessment, reducing the risk of later claims of undisclosed cognitive impairment.
- GAD-7 Anxiety Assessment: A brief self-assessment tool to evidence the impact of anxiety on daily decision-making.
- Financial Vulnerability Assessment: Evaluates susceptibility to undue influence or financial exploitation specific to the transaction.
- Grief Assessment: this will help determine whether grief is impacting his decision-making capacity (referencing Key v Key).
- Summary Report: Summarizes psychometric evaluation findings, highlighting any concerns regarding undue influence and grief.
Visit Two: Decision-Specific Assessment |
Emotional/Psychological Screening | Not routinely included. | Explicit assessment of anxiety, grief, and their impact on decision-making. |
Legal Robustness | Professionally written and court-compliant. | Enhanced legal defensibility with CPR35-informed summary and psychometric data. |
What is a mental capacity assessment?
Imagine you have a friend who sometimes struggles to choose the right clothes for the weather. On a cold day, they might wear a T-shirt, and on a hot day, they might wear a thick jacket. You might wonder, "Do they understand how to choose clothes based on the weather?" In the same way, sometimes its necessary to check if someone understands certain important decisions about their life, like managing money or deciding on medical treatments. This check is called an "assessment of mental capacity." Your mental capacity reflects your ability to understand information and make informed decisions. This encompasses decisions across any aspect of your life. The Mental Capacity Act (2005), the key legislation governing mental capacity in the UK, clearly states that capacity is 'decision specific.' This indicates that while you might possess the capacity to make certain decisions, you could lack the capacity for others. As specialist mental capacity assessors, our approach is therapeutic in nature, focusing on assessing your mental capacity for specific decisions that you might find challenging, or in situations where concerns have been raised about a potential lack of capacity. Our mental capacity assessments are tailored to address these individual needs, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of your capabilities in making particular decisions.
Mental Capacity Assessment
Our standard Mental Capacity Assessment is ideal for everyday legal and financial decisions, such as creating a Will, assigning Lasting Power of Attorney, or making health and welfare choices. Conducted by experienced professionals, each assessment is decision-specific, person-centred, and fully compliant with the Mental Capacity Act (2005). Whether you're planning ahead or responding to a solicitor’s request, this streamlined service provides the clarity and documentation you need with efficiency and care.
Advanced Mental Capacity Assessment
Our Advanced Mental Capacity Assessment is designed for complex, high-risk cases where additional scrutiny is essential. Tailored for individuals facing undue influence, cognitive decline, grief, or financial vulnerability (particularly where large estates or family disputes are involved), this two-visit service includes a full psychometric evaluation and CPR35-informed summary. With court-ready reporting and deeper insights into emotional and cognitive factors, the Advanced MCA offers a robust safeguard for the most sensitive and contested decisions
Home visit or video link
We complete our assessments nationwide and at the best location for you
Court compliant report
All of our reports are CPR35 Court Compliant reports, which means the structure of the report is compliant with the civil procedure rules.
Additional cognitive and vulnerability assessments*
Our Social Workers are both financial vulnerability assessors and Montreal cognitive assessors. We integrate these assessments into our process without any additional fees.
Witness and Certificate Provider Signatures*
We will serve as witnesses and certificate providers at no extra cost, dependent on the client's capacity and provided the necessary documents are available during the meeting.
What's included?
What's included?
We recognise the critical significance of a comprehensive court-compliant report. Hence, this is an integral component of every Mental Capacity Assessment we conduct. We ensure that we never merely provide a "report letter." This commitment is to instill confidence in our clients; even in scenarios that might initially seem straightforward, you still have a fully comprehensive, court-compliant report should things become contentious for any reason. Further enhancing our credentials, all of our staff are both financial vulnerability assessors and Montreal cognitive assessors. When relevant and necessary, we seamlessly integrate these assessments into our process without any additional fees. Every quote we provide encompasses travel to the individual's residence, the core assessment, a comprehensive court-compliant report, and the completion of any other pertinent documents that are available and agreed upon before the assessment, for example, acting as a witness to wills or lasting powers of attorney.
We complete our assessments nationwide and at the best location for you, whether in your own home, a hospital, or somewhere else. In some instances, we can complete them via a secure video link.
Home Visit or Video Link
When assessing for lasting powers of attorney or conducting a testamentary capacity assessment, our social workers will serve as witnesses and certificate providers at no extra cost, dependent on the client's capacity and provided the necessary documents are available during the meeting.
Witness and Certificate Provider Signatures*
Our assessors are both financial vulnerability assessors and Montreal cognitive assessors. When relevant and necessary, we seamlessly integrate these assessments into our process without any additional fees.
Additional Cognitive and Vulnerability Assessments*
All of our reports are CPR35 Court Compliant reports, which means the structure of the report is compliant with the civil procedure rules, ensuring the highest possible standards.
Comprehensive Court Compliant Report(s)
What Decisions Can We Assess Mental Capacity For?
In England and Wales The Mental Capacity Act (2005) is the legal framework that is designed to empower and protect your decision making and applies to everyone over the age of 16 Years.
The Mental Capacity Act (2005) covers the majority of our decision making whether its every day decisions like shopping or more complex decisions such as where you live, whether you can manage your own finances or whether you can make decisions relating to your health. Nellie Supports can compelte assessments for any decision that requires an assessment and support.
Mental capacity assessments are often required to comply with legal standards and regulations.
Ensuring Legal Compliance
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Mental Capacity Assessments play a vital role in protecting the rights and well-being of vulnerable individuals who may not be able to make informed decisions on their own.
Protecting Vulnerable Individuals
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For families and caregivers, our mental capacity assessments offer reassurance that their loved ones are receiving the support they need to make sound decisions.
Providing Peace of Mind
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Mental capacity assessments are crucial for safeguarding the interests of individuals who may struggle with decision-making.
Expert Mental Capacity Assessments for Empowered Decision-Making
At Nellie Supports, we specialise in comprehensive mental capacity assessments tailored for adults, children, and young people. Our services include both decision-specific and retrospective evaluations, focusing on empowering individuals through informed decision-making. Each mental capacity assessment is designed to provide support and protect the most vulnerable, ensuring that all evaluations are conducted timely with precision and care.
Registered professionals giving you peace of mind
Experience peace of mind with our comprehensive social work services at Nellie Supports. Our team of registered and experienced professionals, are dedicated to providing exceptional care and support. From mental capacity assessments to a wide range of social work services such as EHCP appeals and life expectancy reports, our experts ensure accurate evaluations, personalised guidance, and the highest standards of practice.