Best Practice for Best Interest Meetings and Decisions 24/25

Target Group:

This course is targeted to experienced adult social care staff who plan, participate and/or chair Best Interest Meetings, and already have an in-depth understanding of the Mental Capacity Act (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.

Aim:

The aims of this course are to:

• Provide participants the skills necessary to plan, participate in and/or chair Best Interests Meetings, in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005.  
• Help professionals improve their understanding about 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:

By the end of the course participants will have:

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

 Special Notes:

• 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.