ZBest Practice for Best Interest Meetings

Target group

Professional experienced Adult Social Care staff who are involved in Best interest meetings and who are required to carry out Best Interest decisions within the Adult health and social care workforce of the London Borough of Sutton and the Private and Independent (PVI) Sector supporting Sutton residents.

All participants should come to the training with a thorough understanding of the Mental Capacity Act, as the basics of the Act or the Code of Practice will not be covered.

Staff Groups B, C and D as per Bournemouth University national Competency framework for Safeguarding Adults.

Level 3 staff and above (ref: NHS Intercollegiate document 2018  - Adult Safeguarding: Roles and Competencies For Healthcare Staff): Registered health care staff working with adults who engage in assessing, planning, intervening and evaluating the needs of adults where there are safeguarding concerns (as appropriate to role); and other named and  designated professionals with specialist roles.

Course Overview

This training session aims to give participants the skills necessary to plan, participate in and/or chair Best Interests Meetings, in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

It will equip participants to understand what should be considered when making a best interest decision in line with recent case law and how to manage some of the dilemmas which present when doing so.

Learning Objectives

Following the completion of this course, participants will have:

• Improved their knowledge on how to make a Best Interests decision
• Improved their understanding on when a Best Interests Meeting is, and is not, appropriate
• Improved their understanding on who should attend Best Interests Meetings, and why
• Gained Knowledge and skills on how to prepare effectively for a Best Interests Meeting
• Gained skills and confidence on how to support other people, for example family members, who have to attend Best Interests Meetings
• Gained confidence in identifying who is the best person to chair a Best Interests Meeting
• Practised some of the skills which are needed to chair a Best Interests Meeting effectively
• Practised some of the skills which are needed to resolve disputes between professionals, and/or between professionals and family members
• Gained knowledge on how to ensure that records are robust and will stand up to scrutiny
• Explored various Best Interests cases which have been considered by the Court of Protection, and learned the lessons from these

Special Instructions:

Delegates must have  completed the advanced level of  Mental Capacity Act  training  and have   a thorough understanding  and working knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act