Want to improve your mental capacity assessments? These are the three things I would focus on.

1.      Caselaw

Everything we do is underpinned by caselaw. Think of it as the Courts way of telling us what to look for and how to apply the information we are given.

I get that reading full legal transcripts is not everybody’s idea of fun – me included. Fortunately, there are loads of free resources that provide summaries.

Build yourself a caselaw library. Every time you do an assessment, research the latest caselaw and add a link or summary to your library.

Try to read or reread one piece of caselaw per week to start with. As your knowledge and library grows you can reduce this to once a month.

2.      Communication

Communication is not just how you provide information, but also how you receive it. Work on your expressive and receptive skills.

Improve your ability to build rapport, understand body language and structure communication.

Did you know there are only 3 types of conversation? Understanding these and how to respond is essential for rapport building and effective communication

3.      Pre assessment planning

The preparatory work you do before meeting someone can make or break your assessment.

Prior to the assessment you must identify the specific decision, set the threshold of understanding, identify a preliminary (but flexible) question set and create any support tools necessary.

Get into the habit of spending at least an hour on prepping for your assessment – it will pay dividends.

By focusing on these three things you will find your capacity assessment improves immeasurably.

If you would like further information on training or have a capacity assessment that you need conducting then please do get in touch.