Recognising the characteristics of vulnerability
Mental capacity is your ability to make decisions. The Mental Capacity Act says in order to make independent decisions a person needs to be able to Remember, Understand, Communicate and evaluate.
We must always start by assuming capacity and accept customers can make what we'd consider unwise decisions.
However our customers are unlikely to let you know they're struggling or have lost capacity. But you may notice, or pick up on, something that indicates there may be a problem.
Some of our customers may need additional or different support to ensure we meet their needs. For example, they need support with:
- Making decisions
- Remembering information
- Handling their finances
- Looking after themselves
- Emotional resilience
- A third party is prompting in the background or takes over the call
- They struggle to recall or communicate basic personal information
- They become unexpectedly and highly emotional
- They struggle to understand information or explanations
- They provide conflicting information or answers
- They're unaware of their policy with us, decisions they've made or conversations they've had with us recently
- They're repeating themselves
- Their conversation appears farfetched, extreme or erratic
- Someone mentions they're moving into care or in with family
- Their signature is quite different to the one we have on file
- They tell you they have a condition - such as dementia, mental health issues or learning difficulties
- A third party - such as a relative, friend of an official - raises a concern which needs to be investigated further.