Exam Pass Notes

Download (Word)

Use these notes for a final quick review before the assessment.

Core ideas

• Mental capacity applies to a specific decision at a specific time.
• Presume capacity unless there is evidence otherwise.
• Make all practicable efforts to support the person to make the decision before concluding they lack capacity.
• A person is not to be treated as lacking capacity because they make an unwise decision.
• When a person lacks capacity, decisions must be in their best interests and the least restrictive option should be chosen.

Restrictive practice

• Restriction is broader than physical restraint.
• It includes environmental controls, removing aids, chemical restraint, blanket rules, surveillance, and limits on movement or contact.
• Restrictions must be necessary and proportionate, not used for staff convenience.
• Repeated or routine restriction should prompt a review of care and alternatives.

Liberty safeguards

• In England, escalate concerns when a person lacking capacity appears to be under continuous supervision and control and is not free to leave.
• This may indicate that DoLS arrangements are required or need review.
• Frontline staff are not usually responsible for completing the application, but they must recognise and escalate the situation.
• Records should state what restrictions are in place, how capacity was supported, the best-interests reasoning, and scheduled review points.

For exam questions, favour answers that support decision-making, avoid blanket restrictions, identify when rights are limited, and escalate concerns before restrictive practice becomes routine.