X

Is this helpful and working?

UK Mental Health Legal Glossary: Rights, Procedures, and Advocacy

Not logged in | Log in

A

Absolute Discharge

Loading definition...

Absolute Right

Loading definition...

Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS)

Acquit

Advance Decision

Advance Statement

Advocate

Anticipatory Duty

Appointee

Appropriate Adult

Appropriate Healthcare Practitioner

Appropriate Treatment or Medical Treatment

Approved Clinician

Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP)

Arrest

Article

Attorney

Authorised Person

B

Bail

Barring report

Basic DBS check

Best interests

Capacity

Care Act 2014

Care and Treatment Planning (CTP)

Care Coordinator

Care Programme Approach (CPA)

Carer's Assessment

Caution

Certificate Dispute Form

Certificate of Capacity

Charge

Children

Circuit Judge

Civil Procedure Rules (CPR)

Claim

Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs)

Clinical Negligence

Code of Practice to the Care Act

Code of Practice under the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014

Cohabitee

Community Sentence

Community Mental Health Team (CMHT)

Community Treatment Order (CTO)

Conditional Discharge

Conditional Fee Arrangement (CFA)

Consent

Continuing Healthcare (CHC)

Conviction

County Court

Court of Appeal

Court of Protection

Criminal Record

Crown Court

Custody Officer

D

Damages

Data Protection Act 2018

Data Subject

DBS Certificate

DBS Check

Debt Relief Order (DRO)

Declaration of Incompatibility

Deprivation of Liberty

Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DOLS)

Deputy

Detained

Diminished Responsibility

Disability

Disability Discrimination

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)

Discrimination

Displacement

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA)

Duty of Care

Duty Solicitor

E

Either-way Offences

Employment Tribunal

Enduring Power of Attorney

Enforcement Notice

Enhanced DBS Check

Enhanced DBS with List Check

Equality Act 2010

Escorted Leave

F

Filtering

Final Warning

Formal Patient

G

General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR)

Group 1 Licence Holders

Group 2 Licence Holders

Guardianship

Guardianship Order

H

Healthcare

Healthcare Decisions

Health Record

Hearing

Hospital Managers (Mental Health Act Managers)

Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA)

I

Immediate Care or Control

Inaccurate Data

Independent Mental Capacity Advocate (IMCA)

Independent Mental Health Advocate (IMHA)

Independent Monitor

Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC)

Indictable Offences

Informal Patient

Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)

Insanity (Legal Defence)

Integrated Care Boards (ICBs)

J

Judicial Review

A court procedure where a judge reviews the legality of a decision, policy, or action taken by a public authority.

Justification

The legal term for when unfavourable treatment may be considered lawful if there are valid reasons and it is appropriate under the circumstances.

K

Key-worker

A professional who works with an individual to provide targeted support and coordination of services.

L

Lasting Power of Attorney

A legal document that allows you to appoint someone, known as an attorney, to make decisions on your behalf.

Legal Aid

Financial assistance that can help cover the costs of legal advice, family mediation, and court or tribunal representation.

Letter Before Claim

A letter notifying a person that legal action may be taken against them, usually considered a last resort in dispute resolution.

Liaison and Diversion

Services that identify individuals with vulnerabilities such as mental health issues when they first encounter the criminal justice system.

Limited Right

Human rights that can be restricted under specific, fair, and valid conditions.

Litigation Friend

An individual who can represent you in legal proceedings if you lack the capacity to participate yourself.

Local Health Boards (LHBs)

Organisations in Wales that develop and provide health services based on local community needs.

Local Police Records

Police records not stored on the Police National Computer, containing non-conviction information.

M

Magistrates' Court

One of the two types of criminal courts in the UK, the lower of the two, situated below the Crown Court.

Manifestly Unfounded or Excessive

If a subject access request is considered 'manifestly unfounded or excessive,' the organisation can refuse it or ask for a fee.

Medical Treatment

In the Mental Health Act, this refers to treatment aimed at alleviating symptoms of a mental health condition. This includes nursing, psychological intervention, and care.

Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA)

A law that outlines how you can plan ahead in case you're unable to make decisions for yourself. Learn More

N

Nearest Relative

A family member with certain responsibilities and powers if you're detained under the Mental Health Act.

Needs Assessment

The first stage in obtaining social care, where the local authority assesses your care and support needs.

Negligence

An act or omission that falls short of the expected level of care, resulting in injury or loss.

NHS Resolution

The NHS body responsible for handling negligence claims and improving patient and staff safety.

Not Kept Under Proper Control

Indicates vulnerability due to a mental health issue and the need for adequate care or control.

O

Occupational Health

Professionals who assess the impact of your work on your health and suggest necessary adjustments.

Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA)

An independent organisation that reviews student complaints against universities.

Office of the Public Guardian (OPG)

Helps people in England and Wales make decisions about health and finance, and enforces decisions made by the Court of Protection.

Official Solicitor

May participate in court proceedings to protect the interests of those who lack the capacity to do so themselves.

Ombudsman

An official appointed to investigate complaints against companies or organisations, especially public authorities.

P

PACE Codes of Practice

Parental Responsibility

Patient

Personal Information

Place of Safety

Plea

Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984

Premises

Primary Care

Prohibited Conduct

Proportionate

Protected Characteristics

Public Authorities

Public Functions

Public Sector Equality Duty

Q

Qualified Right

R

Reasonable Adjustments

Recalled

Redact

Redress

Registered Medical Practitioner

Regulator (Health and Social Care)

Released Under Investigation

Relevant Person's Representative

Remand

Reprimand

Responsible Clinician

Responsible Organisation

Restriction Order or Direction

Revocation

S

Safeguarding

Safeguarding Adults Board

Second Opinion Appointed Doctor

Secondary Care

Section

Section 17 Leave

Section 117 Aftercare

Section 12 Approved Doctor

Section 136

Sentence

Service Provider

Services

Social Care

Social Care Decisions

Social Services and Wellbeing Act 2014

Spent Convictions or Cautions

Standard DBS Check

Subject Access Request

Summary Offences

Supervised Community Treatment

T

Tariff

Tertiary Care

Trial of the Facts

U

Upper Tribunal

Unfit to Plead

Unspent Convictions or Cautions

V

Voluntary Patient

Vulnerable Adult

W

Warned List