GW4 Mental Capacity, Risk and Autonomy
Project overview
How should the need to protect adults with care and support needs from harm be balanced against their rights to individual autonomy in social care settings? How should social care professionals and services respond to this dilemma? The challenges of balancing safety against autonomy (in the Mental Capacity Act) when protecting adults with care and support needs from harmful influences or dangerous behaviour have been recognized by the Court of Protection. However there isn't always agreement on how services should reconcile these two sometimes contradictory imperatives. The aim of our project is to combine our collective expertise to rapidly understand the research landscape on balancing autonomy and safety for people with mental health problems in social care settings, and to use this to work towards better understanding and practice.
Community lead
Bath: Sally Hewlett
Bristol: Judy Laing
Cardiff: Jeremy Dixon (PI)
Exeter: David Francis Hunt
Awarded
January 2025
This research community will:
- Consolidate and strengthen the research community through a one-day planning event.
- Conduct a rapid review of the literature, identifying current research, current legal guidance on this issue and current practice as suggested by the guidance.
- Conduct a one-day consultation event with key stakeholders (individuals with lived experience of using social care services, carers, unqualified social care workers, social workers, principal/consultant social workers, managers and commissioners).
- Hold a one-day grant writing workshop.
In doing so, the multidisciplinary GW4 Mental Capacity, Risk and Autonomy team aims to establish a foundation for addressing this important ethical and practical issue. The project will bring together a community of practice involving researchers, stakeholders, and individuals with lived experience. This will help structure the research community’s approach, offer valuable insights, and serve as a basis for further work.
