The Mental Health (Care & Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 (Please note: this link will open the page in a new browser window). will come into force in October 2005. As a health and social care professional working in Scotland, the Act will have a big impact on your practice

We must also stress that this site is an educational resource; the site content should not be used to inform legal decision making. Should you require accurate up-to-date information on specific clinical issues, please contact the Mental Welfare Commission (Please note: this link will open the page in a new browser window).

This site has been developed to help you understand the Act. It isn’t an e-learning course, and you won’t be asked to take any formal assessments. You can use the site, however, as an education resource, and it gives you:

• information on the Act and its related Code of Practice (Please note: this link will open the page in a new browser window).
• a portal to other relevant sources that will help you better understand the effect the Act will have on your practice.

The site is designed to reflect four main areas in the Act:

• Principles, roles and responsibilities
• Safeguards and rights of review and appeal
• Compulsory powers
• People with mental disorder within the criminal justice system

You can also seek answers to pressing questions and queries at the Your Questions Answered section.

You should keep in mind that the Code of Practice is not yet finalised, so much of the site content is provisional. In the meantime, you’ll find it useful to have the consultation version of the Code close to hand as you navigate the site.