Capacity to Communicate: Sense's three‐year project training independent mental capacity advocates in communication skills

Sense, the leading national charity that supports and campaigns for children and adults who are deafblind, set up the Capacity to Communicate Project in response to the new role of independent mental capacity advocates created by the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (HM Government, 2005). The project provided training and information, harnessing best practice around communication and advocacy for people who lack capacity and who have little or no formal communication, in particular those with a dual sensory loss. As part of the training, advocates were asked to submit a written assignment. These case studies, including some adult protection cases, have given us valuable information about the nature and process of independent mental capacity advocacy and what can be done to improve this relatively new statutory role, in particular developing better understanding, skills and processes around communication in order to represent and protect vulnerable adults.