**NEW** The New Mental Health Act 2025: an overview - 30 September 2026

Aim:

This half day gives participants an overview of the Mental Health Act (MHA) 2025. The MHA 2025 is not a whole new Act but amends parts of the Mental Health Act 1983. This half day course will look at the main amendments. At present, most of the Act is not yet in force and the Government have yet to indicate a likely timeline. There are variations between the English and Welsh amendments and these will be touched on in the training.

Please note that a working knowledge of the Mental Health Act 1983 is likely to be most helpful to anyone attending this half day. This is because it is likely that we will compare current MHA 1983 provisions with the changes to explore what impact this may have on practice.

Learning outcomes: By the end of the half day participants will be:

• Familiar with the history to the MHA 2025 amendments and the cited aims of the MHA 2025

• Up to date with the main amendments detailed below

• Able to consider how these amendments might affect practice and any planning required in advance (looking ahead)

Programme

10.00-11.15           

• Introduction to the day and programme.

• Brief history to the MHA 2025

• Summary of the changes listed in the Act.

• The MHA Code of Practice- New principles.

• Section 1- What is mental disorder? Changes to the definitions (autism and learning disability)

• Autism and learning disability- new requirements and safeguards.

• Admission to hospital- Changes to Part II MHA (admission sections 2, 3, 4, and holding powers s 5). Timescales for detention

• Part III MHA ‘relevant disorders’

  
  

11.15-11.30            BREAK

11.30 – 1.00 

Safeguards:

• Nominated Persons (replacing the nearest relative) (how to nominate, appoint and who can witness this- powers of the NP and AMHP duties towards the NP.

• Discharge process and requirements of the Responsible Clinician

• Appropriate medical treatment & consent to treatment provisions (in short)

• Tribunal (access to the Tribunal, and additional powers of the Tribunal)

• Advance choice documents

• Statutory Care and treatment plans

• IMHA provisions

Community provisions:

• Guardianship & CTO new criteria & requirements for Clinicians and AMHPs

• Conditional discharge and deprivation of liberty

• Section 117 aftercare

• Places of safety and police stations

Likely progress and next steps- future planning?

Final questions, evaluations and close

The course will be delivered by Christine Hutchison

Christine is a Director of Edge. She has worked in the NHS and Social Services since 1985 initially as a qualified music therapist before retraining as a social worker in 1992. Christine worked as an ASW/AMHP from 1995- 2013. She has considerable practice experience in mental health, including management of CMHTs and as a local authority mental health training officer.  

She has been training in mental health services since 2002 and has lectured for a range of universities on the BA and MA in social work. Christine was a Mental Health Act Commissioner from 2009 until 2013 with the Care Quality Commission. She lectured for Bournemouth University on the Approved Mental Health Professional/Best Interest Assessor post-graduate training for over 10 years. 

Christine currently sits as a Specialist Lay Member for the Mental Health Tribunal. Christine takes the lead on AMHP and mental health related training in her role as Director. She often assists with training needs analysis in AMHP services and development of training programmes that respond to local priorities and needs.

Christine delivers training on the Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act across England and Wales to AMHPs, health and social care professionals, police, ambulance and the third sector.

Christine is co-author of two publications:

• Mental Health Law- Focus on Social Work Law- published Palgrave 2016 ISBN: 978-1-137-44740-1  Click here to buy from Amazon 

• The Mental Health Tribunal - An Essential Guide  VIEW FLYER 1st edition Nov 2021 ISBN: 978-1-5297-0849-3.  Click here to buy from Sage Publishing   Claim 25% discount at the Sage checkout with code UK23AUTHOR   or click here to buy from Amazon

BOOKING INFORMATION:

All Event bookings must be made online with payment made in full by credit/debit card.  We do not send invoices/use purchase order numbers for Event bookings for NHS delegates  (this policy does not affect our commissioned bookings)

Course access details will be emailed direct to delegate(s) upon completion of your booking.  

Includes all course materials and a certificate. If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to email events@edgetraining.org.uk  or call 07341 277487.