Our Expertise

We also provide advice relating to the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) as they apply to children and young people under the Mental Capacity Act 2005- (CDOLS are the child-specific version of DoLS in England and Wales for 16 and 17 years olds).

Our assessors are highly trained professionals who ensure every evaluation is carried out in a respectful, impartial, and legally robust manner.
We also offer Best Interest Decision support and Court of Protection–ready documentation.

Safeguarding

We deliver safeguarding expertise across adult services.

Our team is experienced in identifying, investigating, and managing cases of abuse and neglect in accordance with the Care Act 2014. We work collaboratively with local authorities, healthcare providers, and safeguarding boards to ensure that individuals are protected and empowered.

Our safeguarding service include:

S42 Enquirers and investigation support.
Safeguarding Adults Reviews (SAR) contributions
Policy development and training for care providers.
Risk assessment and mitigation planning.

We are committed to ensuring protection, empowerment and dignity for all individuals.

Care Needs Assessment
Our Care Needs Assessment services help determine eligibility for care and support under the Care Act 2014.
We adopt a holistic, strengths-based approach—focusing on promoting independence, wellbeing, and meaningful outcomes.
Our professionals are skilled in creating personalized care plans and liaising effectively with multidisciplinary teams to ensure continuity and quality of care.

Our Values

Integrity: We uphold the highest ethical and professional standards in every assessment.
Respect: We treat each person with compassion, empathy, and understanding.
Accountability: We provide transparent, defensible assessments and reports.
Collaboration: We work in partnership with families, care providers, and local authorities.
Quality: We continuously improve our practices through training, supervision, and audit.

Our Clients
We work with:

Local Authorities and NHS Trust.
Solicitors and Court of Protection teams.
Care providers (Care Homes, Supported Living Providers, Children's Home and Education Setting
Independent Social Workers and Advocacy Services.
Private clients and families seeking independent assessments.

Mental Capacity Assessment
We provide expert Mental Capacity Act (2005) compliant assessments to determine an individual’s capacity to make informed decisions about their health, welfare, and financial matters.We deliver a full range of capacity assessment including Lasting Power of Attorney Capacity Assessment, Appointeeship capacity assessment, Court of Protection Deputyship (COP3) Capacity Assessment, Testamentary Capacity Assessment, Mental Capacity Assessment to make a Gift, Mental Capacity Assessment for Equity release, Mental Capacity Capacity Assessment to litigate.

We provide specialist Mental Capacity Assessment for Deprivation of Liberty (Dols) and Liberty Protection Safeguards.

We also provide specialist Mental Capacity Assessments for 16 and 17 years olds under the Mental Capacity Act 2005. All our assessments are undertaken with sensitivity, child-centered practice and a strong commitment to safeguarding, human rights and the least restrictive options for care and support.

Understanding Mental Capacity Assessment

What is Mental Capacity Assessment?

The Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) in England and Wales applies to people aged 16 and over.

The Mental Capacity Act 2005 is the law that sets out how decisions should be made for someone who may not be able to make certain choices for themselves.

The law starts with an important principle: every adult is assumed to have capacity unless it can be shown otherwise. An assessment is only needed if there is doubt about whether someone can make a specific decision. Capacity assessments must always be both decision-specific and time-specific

A person must be given all practicable help before being treated as unable to decide. People have right to make choices that others may see as unwise as long as they have capacity. Any decision made on behave of someone lacking capacity must be in their best interest. Any action taken should as little as possible with the person’s rights and freedom.

Understanding A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA)

A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) is a legal document. It lets you choose someone you trust to make decisions for you if you are not able to.
The person you choose is called your attorney. You are called the donor.

Types of LPA
There are two kinds of LPA:
⦁ Property and Money

⦁ Lets your attorney manage your bank accounts, bills, and property.
⦁ Can be used with your permission while you can still make decisions.
⦁ Health and Care

⦁ Lets your attorney make decisions about your medical treatment, care, and daily needs. Can only be used if you cannot make those decisions yourself.

Key Things to Know
⦁ You can set up one type, or both.
⦁ You can choose the same person or different people for each.
⦁ Everyone (you and your attorney/s) must sign the forms.
⦁ The forms must be sent to the Office of the Public Guardian before the LPA can be used.

Why It Matters
An LPA makes sure:
⦁ Your wishes are respected.
⦁ People you trust can help you when you need it most.

We can help check in an Lasting Power of Attorney Capacity Assessment. To make an LPA, you must be able to:
⦁ Explain what an LPA is and why you want one.
⦁ Say who you are choosing as your attorney(s) and why.
⦁ Understand the power and responsibility you are giving them.

Understanding Court of protection Deputyship (COP3)

What is a COP3 Form
The COP3 is a form used by the Court of Protection to check if someone can make specific decisions. If they cannot the Court makes decision in their best interest.

What is a COP3 Mental capacity assessment?
The COP3 mental capacity assessment is a formal evaluation used to determine whether an individual has the ability to make specific decisions as required by Court of Protection. A COP3 form is needed when applying for deputyship Order to manage personal affairs such as property and financial matters.

COP3 mental capacity assessments are carried out to support deputyship applications. The are required when someone is seeking legal authority to manage the property, finances and personal welfare of an individual whose capacity to make those decisions independently is in doubt.

You might apply to become a deputy if you are supporting someone with a learning disability, dementia, or another condition that affects their ability to make important decisions. In this case, the COP3 form is required as part of your application to the Court of Protection. If the Court grants a deputyship order, this gives the deputy (the applicant) the legal authority to make certain decisions for the person either about their property and finances, or about their health and personal welfare. Personal welfare decisions can include day-to-day matters such as care arrangements, while financial decisions can cover managing money, bills, and managing property.

Who complete COP3 Mental Capacity Assessment?

According to the official guidance, Part B of the COP3 form must be completed by an appropriate assessor. Medical practitioners and social care professionals are recognized as appropriate assessors to complete Part B of the form. However local authority are not legally required to complete COP3 forms and COP3 assessment of capacity are classed as a non-NHS service. This means GPs do not routinely carry them.

The outcome of the assessment is recorded on the COP3 form, which is then submitted to the Court of Protection as part of an application for legal authority to act on behalf of someone who lacks capacity.

We can help. As experienced social workers specializing in mental capacity assessment and in completing Part B of the COP3 form. We provide a reliable professional service that keeps your application moving forward with confidence.

Understanding Appointeeship Capacity

Appointeeship is a legal arrangement where a person, known as an appointee, is designated to manage another individual's benefits, typically when that individual cannot do so themselves.

What is an Appointee?
An appointee is a person who is legally authorized to manage another individual’s benefits when that individual is unable to do so themselves, usually due to health conditions, disability, or vulnerability. The arrangement is typically set up through a government agency such as the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in the UK.

Appointees are often close family members or an organization or representative of an organization. Their role is limited to handling benefits and ensuring the payments are used in the claimant’s (the official term used for someone who is claiming a benefit). best interest. Importantly, an appointee does not have control over all of the person’s finances only their benefits. Only one appointee can act on behalf of someone entitled to benefits.

Appointeeship Mental Capacity
The role of an appointee does not fall directly under the Mental Capacity Act (MCA). However, the government guidance suggests that the DWP must be satisfied that the claimant lacks the capacity to manage their benefits.The appointee must always act in the claimant’s best interests, which is a key principle of the MCA.

Understanding Testamentary Assessment

Legal Standard (based on Banks vs Good fellow [1870], still widely used in many jurisdictions)
A person has testamentary capacity if they can:
⦁ Understand the nature of making a will and its effects.
⦁ Know the extent of their property (in broad terms, not exact details).
⦁ Recognize the people who might reasonably have a claim to their estate (e.g., family, dependents).
⦁ Not be affected by a mental disorder or delusion that influences the disposal of their property.

🔹 Why It Matters
⦁ Ensures the will is valid and enforceable.
⦁ Protects vulnerable people from exploitation.
⦁ Helps reduce family disputes after death.