The Decision Support Service is a new service for all adults who have difficulties with their decision-making capacity. The Decision Support Service is a public body established within the Mental Health Commission by the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015.
The Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act was signed into law in December 2015. The Act recognises that, as far as possible, all adults have the right to play an active role in decisions that affect them. These decisions can be about their personal welfare and property and affairs.
The 2015 Act brings about important changes for people who require support to make decisions and for anyone interacting with them.
The 2015 Act:
Any adult who needs support to exercise their decision-making capacity could need the Decision Support Service. This may include but is not limited to people with an intellectual disability, mental illness, dementia or acquired brain injury, as well as people with age-related conditions. People may require the Decision Support Service when a third party such as a bank, lawyer, or hospital questions a person’s capacity to make a decision or give consent.
Any person who wants to plan ahead for a time in the future when they may lose capacity could also need the Decision Support Service.
Decision-making capacity is about being able to decide about a particular thing at the time that you need to decide it.
Decision-making capacity is assessed in a way that is called a functional assessment. Decision-making capacity means being able to:
These are rules provided by the Act which decision supporters and others must follow.
These are some of the guiding principles:
Check out this information leaflet: Decision Support Service Information
https://www.decisionsupportservice.ie/
Tel: 01 211 9750
