Mock Court of Protection and Mental Capacity Act training course

04 November 2026 to 25 November 2026

This virtual training course provides essential knowledge and tools for practitioners to apply the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) confidently in practice.

It offers a practical exploration of mental capacity law — a framework that, despite being in place for over 20 years, remains challenging to apply and is constantly evolving, most notably following the recent Supreme Court decision in the Attorney General for Northern Ireland Reference (AGNI) case.

The course content includes live and on-demand modules, covering the Court of Protection, deprivation of liberty and a mock best interests meeting.

Course structure

Made up of three live modules and a pre-recorded mock best interests meeting, the course covers the four fundamental aspects of the MCA: capacity, best interests, deprivation of liberty and the Court of Protection.

It includes practical advice on conducting effective capacity assessments for different decisions, drafting witness statements, preparing for Court hearings and using best interests meetings to make decisions and resolve disputes with family members about care arrangements.

The course also addresses what deprivation of liberty means in a post-AGNI world, including strategic guidance on avoiding costly Court applications where possible – and, where proceedings are unavoidable, ensuring they are resolved as efficiently as possible.

This course is delivered online and is available as both live and on-demand content.

Live modules on 4,11 and 25 November 2026, with a recorded module (BI meeting) released on 18 November. All live modules are recorded and can be watched back on-demand, so that the course can be completed flexibly around clinical commitments.
Delivered online.
Cost: £295.00 + VAT per delegate.
Block booking discounts available for 10 or more spaces on request.

Who should attend?

This course is designed for health and social care professionals who would benefit from learning more about the MCA and the Court of Protection, and how they work in practice. It will be of particular benefit to:

Clinicians and professionals working across the public and independent health and care sector.
Social workers and other professionals working in social care.
Care managers.
Discharge co-ordinators.
In-house legal teams.

This subject area forms the bread-and-butter work for in-house lawyers, practitioners, clinicians and professionals working across the public and independent health and care sector. The course is relevant to both Welsh and English practitioners.

Course modules summary

This module covers the five principles of the MCA 2005, diagnosis, the time-specific and decision-specific nature of capacity assessments, and fluctuating capacity. Topics include:

Ways to ensure capacity is maximised, such as the use of storyboards and translators.
Relevant information for different decision domains, including care, residence, contact, finances, sexual relations, internet use and social media, and tenancy.
Section 49 reports and independent experts.
Relevant case law.

Module 1 (Live): Mental capacity and how to assess it

A filmed mock best interests meeting, produced by the Browne Jacobson in-house team via MS Teams. This module provides practical guidance on using best interests meetings to make decisions and resolve disputes with family members about care arrangements.

Module 2 (Live): Mock best interests meeting

This module covers what constitutes a deprivation of liberty following the AGNI Supreme Court decision, the least restrictive principle, standard authorisations, community deprivation of liberty applications, complex deprivation of liberty applications (including for 16- and 17-year-olds), and deprivation of liberty applications for children.

The module provides strategic guidance on avoiding costly Court applications where possible and, where proceedings are unavoidable, ensuring they are resolved as efficiently as possible.

Deprivation of liberty

This module covers types of applications to the Court of Protection, roles within proceedings, the life cycle of a Court of Protection case, witness statements, hearings, and reporting restrictions and Transparency Pilot Orders.

Practical advice is provided on drafting witness statements and preparing for Court hearings, up to and including giving evidence to the court.

Module 1 (Live): Mental capacity and how to assess it

This module covers the five principles of the MCA 2005, diagnosis, the time-specific and decision-specific nature of capacity assessments, and fluctuating capacity. Topics include:

Ways to ensure capacity is maximised, such as the use of storyboards and translators.
Relevant information for different decision domains, including care, residence, contact, finances, sexual relations, internet use and social media, and tenancy.
Section 49 reports and independent experts.
Relevant case law.

Module 2 (Live): Mock best interests meeting

Module 3 (On-demand): Deprivation of liberty

The module provides strategic guidance on avoiding costly Court applications where possible and, where proceedings are unavoidable, ensuring they are resolved as efficiently as possible.

Deprivation of liberty

Module 4 (Live): Court of Protection

Practical advice is provided on drafting witness statements and preparing for Court hearings, up to and including giving evidence to the court.

Since the Court of Protection was introduced in 2006, the complexity of work around the COP, MCA and Mental Health Act has grown exponentially, both legally and clinically. The Court of Protection is a specialist court that makes decisions on financial or welfare matters for people who lack the mental capacity to make those decisions themselves. It increasingly features in the national media and is only set to grow further due to the ageing population, the ongoing rise in mental health issues and the decreasing resources available to the NHS and other providers.

This course is designed for any professionals working in the public and independent health and care sector across England and Wales, who would benefit from learning more about the MCA and the Court of Protection, and how they work in practice. It will be of particular benefit to social workers, care managers, clinicians, discharge co-ordinators and in-house legal teams. The subject area forms the bread-and-butter work for in-house lawyers, practitioners, clinicians and professionals working across the public and independent health and care sector.

The course is delivered online, with both live and on-demand content. It is made up of three live modules and a pre-recorded mock best interests meeting with explanatory captions. All live modules are recorded and can be watched back on-demand, so that the course can be completed flexibly around clinical commitments.

Yes – block booking discounts are available for bookings of 10 or more spaces. Please get in touch with our team to discuss your organisation's requirements.

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