The Mental Capacity Act 2005 and its accompanying Codes of Practice continue to have a huge impact on mental health professionals working with some of the most vulnerable people throughout England and Wales. Whether you are a Social Worker, Best Interest Assessor, Mental Health Nurse, Doctor, Psychiatrist or an Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP), understanding the Mental Capacity Act and its implications for practice is essential and this indispensable guide will help you do just that.

The Mental Capacity Act 2005 is designed to protect and empower individuals who may lack the mental capacity to make their own decisions about their care and treatment and this bestselling book will provide invaluable support to busy practitioners needing to draw on the Act in the following ways:

• Sets out the full text of the main body of the Act for quick reference

• Contains practical advice and checklists for working with the Act and the main principles and Codes of Practice

• Shows how the Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act interact so that statutory requirements can be put into practice.

Written in a style accessible to all professionals, this fully updated Third Edition has been revised and enlarged to incorporate revisions to the Mental Health Act Code of Practice 2015 and the crucial impact of the Supreme Court decisions in the Cheshire West cases.