Mental Health and Mental Capacity Law for Social Workers

Book excerpt: Many social work students find the study of mental health legislation a complex and at times challenging process. Acts of law can seem irrelevant and far-removed from everyday practice and the person-centred approach that many social workers take. This book introduces students to the fundamental principles of mental health law and how they can be applied to everyday practice. There are clear introductions to key Acts such as the Mental Capacity Act and the Mental Health Act as well as the relevant Codes of Practice. These introductions, applied to social work case examples from practice, make this book a perfect key text for the social work law module. Students will see that mental health law doesn′t exist in a vacuum and instead develops and evolves through constant interaction with the fundamental principles of sound social work practice.