Social Media and Internet Use Capacity Assessment

Access to social media and use of the internet has, over the years, opened up a whole new world of information and contact with other people.  Social media in particular has provided a means of keeping in touch with people across the world as if they were living in the same street.  However, social media and the internet aren’t without their dangers and pitfalls and you may have concerns whether a person has the mental capacity to make decisions about their social media and internet use.

We are instructed by local authorities and solicitors who require a Social Media and Internet Use Mental Capacity Assessment to complete high quality and robust assessments. As experienced Social Workers, we are well placed to complete a Social Media and Internet Use Mental Capacity Assessment for you.  We have a significant amount of experience as practitioners and have completed hundreds of mental capacity assessments since 2009.

How do we determine whether someone lacks mental capacity?

The assessment process itself involves meeting the person and their network of support to establish their wishes in relation to the decision in question.  This is a crucial part of the assessment process.  However, the actual assessment framework for this type of decision is contained within the Mental Capacity Act and guided by additional case law.  This ensures that an objective assessment is completed each time and isn’t subject to personal opinion or assumptions about a particular diagnosis or someone’s age.

When completing Social Media and Internet Use Mental Capacity assessments, we adopt best practice principles and adhere to the professional standard of Social Work England, Social Care Wales and the British Association of Social Workers.

How long will the assessment take?

Once instructed, we aim to complete a Mental Capacity Assessment report within 14 days.  If however, you require an assessment completed urgently, please let us know and we will do everything we can to meet your timeframes.

What happens when a person is assessed as lacking capacity?

If the outcome of the assessment is that the person lacks the mental capacity to make the decision, don’t worry.  The assessment process is about protecting people’s wishes and autonomy as much as anything else.  If a person lacks capacity to make a health and welfare decision such as this, those who help them make decisions (friends, family, attorneys and health and social care professionals) will follow the principles of the Mental Capacity Act and make a Best Interests decision.  Use of the internet and the contact that people have over social media is often vital and a Best Interests decision will explore how your client can continue to use these tools in a safe manner.

If you would like to find out more about Best Interests decisions, or instruct us to complete one, please don’t hesitate to contact us.