SLTs set to be recognised as Approved Mental Capacity Professionals

The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) strongly welcomes the proposed inclusion of SLTs as Approved Mental Capacity Professionals (AMCPs) in the draft revision to the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 Code of Practice.

Working with members, MPs, Peers, and civil servants, the RCSLT has been campaigning for this change for a considerable time. We would like to thank all the speech and language therapists who helped us secure this important change.

Given the impact that communication difficulties can have on perceptions of an individual’s mental capacity, and the specialised knowledge that SLTs have regarding speech, language, communication, and swallowing, we are pleased to see government recognition of the important role that speech and language therapists play in assessing mental capacity.

The consultation on changes to the MCA Code of Practice and implementation of the Liberty Protection Standards (LPS) – which includes the addition of speech and language therapists to the list of AMCPs, among other proposals – is now open until 7 July 2022. Learn more about the consultation and proposed changes.

We will continue to advocate for SLTs being Approved Mental Health Professionals (AMHPs) as part of the forthcoming revision of mental health legislation.

For more information and to get involved in RCSLT’s response, please contact Claire Moser at claire.moser@rcslt.org.