Monday 16 March 2009

Purpose of the Blog

The intention of this blog is to share my experience of being an Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) (what used to be called an Approved Social Worker, or ASW), practicing under the Mental Health Act 1983 (as recently amended). As and when I conduct an assessment under the Mental Health Act, I intend to summarise it on this blog (anonymously of course). From time to time I may recount selected Mental Health Act Assessments from my past experience, and explore some of the ins and outs and pitfalls of working within the legal framework of the Mental Health Act. I hope this will be informative, entertaining, and at times amusing. (Although you might have to be an AMHP to appreciate the full nuances.)

Bear with me -- it'll be better than that sounds -- wait till I examine the process of identifying the Nearest Relative for the purposes of the Act!

4 comments:

  1. Thankyou for this blog, it's excellent. Looking forward to nr identifiers!!
    Great info.
    Amhp in training

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  2. I have a query re nr, if a couple are divorced and have an adult child together, the adult child lives with the father at times, when the mother becomes homeless and also resides with the ex husband and its longer than six month, would the ex husband be nr although they do not live together as husband and wife and there is no caring role on the ex husbands part. Or would this likely to be the adult child as nr? Can't find an answer to this anywhere!! Thanks

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  3. A divorced couple cease to be NR for each other, unless they subsequently decide to live together as husband and wife. In that case, the 6 month residence rule applies. Otherwise, it is the eldest of any adult children.

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  4. Thanks so much for that, had looked at the nr handbook, but it didn't show this variation, wonderful blog, thanks

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