AJH Social Work provides independent social work assessments and mental capacity support for families, solicitors, deputies and attorneys dealing with adult social care, Court of Protection matters and best interests decisions. Their recent guides cover key processes involved when care, capacity and legal responsibility start to intersect, from COP3 assessments and deputyship to care reviews and psychological assessments.
Most families don’t start out thinking about the Court of Protection, deputyship or COP3 forms. They start with something far more human.
A parent is no longer managing money safely. A relative’s care package no longer seems enough. A solicitor asks for a mental capacity assessment and suddenly everyone is knee-deep in forms and phrases they never expected to have to understand.
That is often where AJH Social Work comes in.
The firm supports families, solicitors, attorneys, deputies and professionals with independent social work assessments, mental capacity work, best interests decisions, Court of Protection matters and care-related support. Their recent series of guides covers the more formal side of adult social care, the situations where care, capacity, legal authority and family responsibility start to overlap.
What the Court of Protection actually does
The Court of Protection can sound intimidating. Anything with “Court” in the title tends to make people feel they have already done something wrong.
In reality, it exists to make decisions for people who lack the mental capacity to make certain decisions themselves. It works under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and deals with property, finances, health, welfare, deputyship, disputes and safeguarding concerns.
AJH Social Work’s guide, What is the Court of Protection and What Does It Do?, is a useful starting point for families who have heard the phrase but are not sure whether it applies to them. Not every difficult care situation needs to go to court, but where a decision is serious, disputed or legally complex, it may be the right route.
What a COP3 assessment involves
If someone is applying to the Court of Protection, particularly for deputyship, they will usually come across a COP3 assessment. The name is about as warm as a council tax reminder.
A COP3 is a formal mental capacity assessment completed on an official Court of Protection form. It gives the court evidence about whether a person can make a specific decision for themselves, such as managing their finances or deciding where they live.
AJH Social Work’s guide, What is a COP3 Mental Capacity Assessment? A Detailed Guide], explains what happens during the assessment and why it should feel like a careful, structured conversation rather than an exam. Getting this right matters, because capacity is not a blanket label. Someone may struggle with complex finances but still be perfectly capable of making day-to-day decisions.
When a professional deputy may be needed
Deputyship becomes relevant when someone lacks capacity and there is no Lasting Power of Attorney in place. A deputy, appointed by the Court of Protection, makes decisions on the person’s behalf, most often about property and financial affairs.
Families often underestimate what this involves. It is not just helping with the bank account. It can mean managing care fees, dealing with benefits, handling tax, keeping records and reporting to the Office of the Public Guardian, all while the family is already dealing with illness, grief or conflict.
AJH Social Work’s guide, What Is a Professional Deputy and What Do They Do?, covers the role, its limits and the difference between a family deputy and a professional one.
Why care reviews matter
Care plans are not supposed to sit in a drawer gathering dust. Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities have an ongoing duty to review care and support plans to make sure they still meet the person’s needs.
Care needs change. More falls, a struggling carer, services not turning up reliably, a package reduced without proper evidence. A care review should look at what is working, what is not, and whether the plan still fits the person’s life.
AJH Social Work’s article, What Is an Adult Care Review under the Care Act 2014?, explains what reviews are, when they should happen, and how to ask for one when circumstances change.
Where psychological assessments fit in
Psychological assessments come into the picture when there are questions about memory, cognition, mood, trauma or risk. They can help explain what is happening for a person and how their difficulties may affect care planning, capacity assessments or legal proceedings.
Worth knowing: a psychological assessment is not the same as a mental capacity assessment. One looks at memory, thinking or mood. The other applies the legal test under the Mental Capacity Act to a specific decision at a specific time. The two can connect, but confusing them is where things get messy.
AJH Social Work’s guide, What Is a Psychological Assessment in Social Care?, explains when these assessments may be suggested and how the findings are used.
Clear evidence makes a real difference
Families dealing with these processes can feel passed between systems, adult social care, solicitors, the Court of Protection, NHS services, care providers, with each one using an acronym as if everyone was born knowing it.
Independent social work support from AJH Social Work can help families and professionals get a clearer picture of what is actually needed. That includes Mental Capacity Act assessments, COP3 work, best interests reports, care review input and independent advice for attorneys, deputies and solicitors.
Serious decisions need proper evidence, not vague impressions. “She seems confused” or “the council won’t increase the package” may reflect real concerns, but they are not enough when someone’s money, care, home or freedom is affected.
AJH Social Work’s guides are a solid starting point. They will not make for light reading, but they are the kind of reading that can stop families walking blindly into decisions that genuinely matter.