Use and misuse: mental capacity, homelessness & multiple disadvantage

Please note: this event has passed

At this event

Jess Harris presented emerging findings from the Unit's MCA study, which is drawing to a close at the end of this month. Over 470 people attended.

Comments from attendees:

Thanks so much for the research and recommendations. It's incredibly emboldening, as is the chance to listen to other practitioners and experts. I hope the recommendations can be taken forward both in terms of future legislation review and definitely co-attended cross sector/disciplinary training thereafter. In the meantime, I will be sharing the slides within our sector locally as well as organisationally and get the findings on the agenda of our local forums.
Your findings will be very useful for me as a practitioner to share and discuss with colleagues both within the Local authority and in a multi-agency way. Only yesterday i was suggesting in a multi disciplinary meeting that we need to get together and discuss such complex cases to talk about how we can work towards supporting the person as much as possible. These findings will support with this suggestion; especially value all the lived experience feedback.
Thanks very much for this! Can't wait to use this in team discussions and wider - will get back to you about how this has helped shape practice.
Thank you Jess that was brilliant and insightful. Such important work.
Thanks so much - fantastic session prompting much discussion and thinking as always!

Next time:

Assessing health inequalities for adults experiencing homelessness - 15 April 2026.

End of study findings:

Use of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 with people experiencing multiple exclusion homelessness in England (an NIHR-funded study 2023-2026)

This webinar will share and discuss findings from a study that has explored practitioner attitudes and approaches to mental capacity assessments with people experiencing homelessness and multiple disadvantage in England, and lived experience perspectives on decision making, engagement with services, and 'intervention'.

Factors such as poor mental health, substance use, the effects of trauma and service mistrust, and executive dysfunction in this population mean that assessments under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 can be particularly challenging. These factors also contribute to high risks of harm and early death for individuals who may not be receiving support.

This study has explored what makes a 'good' assessment and if we should be thinking more, less or differently about mental capacity. We will also outline areas where greater national clarity is required, to support consistent understanding and application of the MCA 2005 with this population.

This will be the final opportunity to feed into the research knowledge exchange activities before the finalisation of the study reporting.

The webinar will be led by Jess Harris and Stephen Martineau from the Homelessness Research Programme at HSCWRU, King's College London.

Homelessness series at King's

This webinar, which takes place on MS Teams only, is part of the Homelessness series, organised out of the NIHR Health and Social Care Workforce Research Unit, King's College London, by Research Fellow Jess Harris.

The Unit is home to the Homelessness Research Programme.

We generally send out the slides and post them here following meetings, but do not record sessions.

Please get in touch with Jess Harris if you would like to join the mailing list for the Homelessness series.