The improvement of services, for the people we

serve, is at the heart of professional practice. This

is why we have designed a Masters degree to
include a focus on service improvement.
The Service Improvement journey at BU is
split into two Masters degree level units:
PSIP and SIP.
PSIP stands for Preparing for your Service
Improvement Project. Successful completion of
PSIP is a pre-requisite for moving on to the SIP
unit. It allows practitioners to develop a service
improvement proposal over a period of about 5
months and is primarily about THINKING.
SIP stands for Service Improvement Project
and is primarily about DOING or implementing
the proposal in practice. This poster is based on a
SIP completed in 2014.
Aims and objectives:
The aim of this SIP has been to implement
opportunities for face to face MCA training
and to evaluate whether this intervention
has improved practitioners condence and
knowledge in the application of the MCA.
The objectives of the project have been to:
Develop the intervention or training package
Conduct pre-intervention questionnaires to
assess initial levels of MCA condence and
knowledge
Evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention
by conducting and analysing post-intervention
questionnaires and qualitative interviews.
The intervention took place on one ward, within a
long-term, medium secure, hospital that is part of
forensic mental health services.

Intervention and impact:
A mix of nine qualied and non-qualied
staff participated in the face to face training
sessions.
The data produced through the questionnaires
revealed that this intervention had been
successful in improving all participants levels
of condence and knowledge of the MCA.
There was a substantial relative increase of
33.8% in condence and 45.5% in knowledge
within the group overall.
Group Relative Increase Post-Training
The National Centre for
Post-Qualifying Social Work
(NCPQSW)
Professional education at the National Centre
for Post-Qualifying Social Work is centred
on a commitment, passion and dedication to
develop healthcare and social work practice.
We believe that by improving the quality of
services through partnering with practitioners
and employers across the health and social
care arena we make a vital contribution to
society in general and vulnerable people in
particular.
Over 10,000 practitioners have successfully
undertaken our programmes since the year
2000 and we have won a total of 9 prestigious
teaching awards during this time.
Visit us at: www.ncpqsw.com
Context and background
literature:
I am a social worker, previously
employed in a long-term medium secure
hospital setting.
There appears to be a problem with
the effectiveness of Mental Capacity
Act (MCA) 2005 training in embedding
knowledge and increasing practitioner
Improving Knowledge
and condence in the
application of the Mental
Capacity Act
Author: Nicola Beaton
Devon County Council
condence within the workplace (e.g.
see Myron et al. 2008).
This appears to be a particular issue for
organisations who rely upon E-learning
to deliver staff training (Morris 2005).
Opportunities for face-to-face training
maybe helpful in bridging this gap (e.g.
see Williams et al. 2012).
A stakeholder analysis with 8 members
of staff found out what they wanted in
terms of face to face training sessions.
For more information, please visit us at www.ncpqsw.com or phone 01202 964765
What to include in Mental Capacity
Act Face to Face Training
When do I make decisions
on their behalf?
What is the best
interest decision?
How do I record the
decision that I make
on their behalf?
What is expected of
me in my role?
What can I do and
what can I not do?
It needs to be
interesting
It needs to be in
layman terms
Refresher of the
basics
Why do we have it?
Where did it come
from?
Real case studies
relating to our patients
Which legislation
is revelant?
Feedback from stakeholder analysis
References:
Morris, D. 2005. E-Learning in the common learning curric-
ulum for health and social care professionals: information
literacy and the library. Health Information and Libraries
Journal, 22 (2), 74-79.

Myron, R. et al. 2008. Whose decision? Preparation for and
implementation of the Mental Capacity Act in statutory and
non-statutory services in England and Wales. London: Men-
tal Health Foundation.

Williams, V. et al. 2012. Making Best Interests Decisions:
People and Processes. London: Mental Health Foundation.
Available from: http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publica-
tions/bids-report/ [Accessed 22 November 2012].
Knowledge 45.5%
Condence 33.8%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%
Supporting social work and health practitioners to improve
services one setting and one service provider at a time.
Service
Improvement
Projects
All three participants who were interviewed
gave evidence that the training sessions had
delivered effective content. They reported on
particular areas of MCA knowledge that had
increased, whilst giving examples as to how
this had positively impacted on their condence
within the workplace.