It is the responsibility of the managers of every psychiatric hospital to ensure that the people appointed to their managers’ panel receive suitable training to:

• Understand the law surrounding detention under the Mental Health Act.
• Work with patients and professionals.
• Be able to reach sound judgements and properly record their decisions.

Hospital Manager's Panels should understand equality issues and the needs of patients from minority cultural or ethnic backgrounds; patients with physical impairments and/ or sensory impairments; and patients with learning disabilities or autistic spectrum disorders. Members must only be appointed for a fixed period of time. Reappointment should not be automatic and should always be preceded by a review of that person’s continuing suitability to be a member of the panel.

COURSE OVERVIEW

This interactive one-day course offers panel members thorough training as to the sections of the Mental Health Act 1983 and parts of the Code of Practice to the Mental Health Act relevant to their role. We also consider the scope and impact of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards on reviews of psychiatric detention.

In the afternoon, through a case study and a mock Hospital Managers’ Meeting, we review recent relevant case law and reprise the lessons learnt from South Staffordshire and Shropshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust vs Hospital Managers of St Georges’ Hospital.

Hospital Managers are encouraged to attend the training as part of the suitability review process or, if preferred, can be given a written test and, where appropriate, course completion certificates

KEY LEARNING POINTS

By the end of the course delegate will:

• Reprise their role and responsibilities.
• Gain a full understanding of equality and diversity issues.
• Understand the importance of gaining insight into the needs of particular groups of vulnerable people.
• Be aware of the law and evidential considerations which should be applied in all of their decisions.
• Understand the difficulties involved in the decisions to withhold reports from patients.
• Appreciate why and how to draft legally correct, written decisions.
• Obtain an update on all recent relevant case law.