Training

Georga is an experienced trainer and mentor, equipping those working in psychiatric services, local authorities, and lawyers with the legal skills and knowledge to help protect the rights of all those detained under the Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act. 

Georga is commissioned by various Provider Collaboratives and NHS Trusts to delivered medico-legal training to Clinical Directors; Forensic Consultant Psychiatrists; SAS doctors; resident doctors, Clinical Psychologists; NHSE Case Managers; Occupation Therapists; and Community Psychiatric Nurses.

Georga is also commissioned by the Royal College of Psychiatrists.  Georga has delivered training on AC approval and S. 12 MHA approval courses, both face-to-face and online for several years.  Georga created and delivers the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ Masterclasses, which are online courses covering specific topics with a legal and medical overlap.  Georga delivered legal training at the Royal College of Psychiatrists South Eastern Division Medico-Legal Day, including giving evidence at First-tier Tribunal Mental Health, and has been the key-note speaker at legal-medico conferences.

Georga also provides training on the Mental Health Review Tribunals: A Simulation Workshop in Forensic Psychiatry run by Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust and the East of England Speciality Training, Schools of Pathology and Psychiatry.

Georga delivers tailored training on mental health, capacity, and human rights law, covering all aspects of mental health and capacity law, including procedures and evidence of the First-tier Tribunal Mental Health. Georga is also commissioned to provide training on the legal frameworks that can be used to manage community patients, for example combinations of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, inherent jurisdiction, and Mental Health Act. These courses also cover authorization for treatment, risk management strategies, and liaising with other providers and organizations.

Georga provides tailored legal training covering specific patient groups, for example patients with intellectual disabilities; autism and other neurodivergent issues; children and young people, and those on restricted sections of the Mental Health Act.

All Georga’s courses involve the discussion of complex cases to illustrate points and facilitate the sharing of information and best practice amongst the delegates.

Regarding continuing professional development (CPD) requirements, while the Royal College of Psychiatrists does not accredit courses, it takes the view that individual psychiatrists ought to distinguish which courses contribute to their CDP, with the approval of their peer group wherever possible. A full day’s course can be for up to 6 CPD points. Therefore certificates, which will specify the topics covered, will be provided at the end of each course.

Benefits

Providing training to staff increases their competencies and skills, and thereby their effectiveness. All training provided covers best practice in the implementation of the law and alternative models for detention and discharge are examined. This ensures that staff are able to work within the legislative framework to put in place restrictions and boundaries in the least restrictive manner, to comply with Article 5 European Convention of Human Rights, and provide clear discharge pathways to help remove barriers, and address inequalities so that discharge can be achieved more quickly with smother transitions.

Moving out of hospital will benefit patients, as they will be maintained in less restrictive settings, it will also aid therapeutic relationship as patients will see their clinicians gathering evidence to help them achieve discharge. Further, taking patients out of hospital to community placements saves money for the NHS Trusts and Integrated Care Boards both in terms of reducing inpatient hospital costs and increasing the repatriation of patients from the private sector.

Topics

Training can be provided an any combination of the following topics. Presentations are individually written to be specific to the target audience. Click a topic to view more details about potential content that could be covered.

Mental Health Law
  • Structure of UK law, particularly mental health law;
  • The role of mental health lawyers;
  • Mental health & human rights law:
    • International human rights and mental health law;
    • Domestic human rights law;
    • Domestic mental health law;
    • Health and social work professionals and human rights.
Detention under MHA
  • S. 135 and S. 136 MHA;
  • The legal framework for admission, including MHA assessments;
  • Repatriation of patients within the UK; and abroad;
  • Detention in the community;
  • Routes out of hospital.
Treatment
  • Medical treatment under the MHA;
  • Medical treatment under the MCA;
  • Treatment and capacity.
Medico-legal issues of detention and discharge
  • Detention in hospital under the MHA:
    • Legal criteria for detention under the MHA;
    • Civil detention sections of the MHA;
    • Forensic detention sections of the MHA;
    • Detention of ID and ASC;
    • Detention of personality disorder;
    • Legal aspects of liaison psychiatry.
Alternatives for detention
  • Deprivation of liberty definition;
  • Assessing capacity;
  • Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards;
  • Orders by the Court of Protection;
  • Inherent jurisdiction of the High Court.
Routes out of hospital
  • Overview of discharge routes;
  • Discharge from inpatient sections;
  • Discharge from the MHA;
  • Legal frameworks to manage risk in the community;
  • Detention in the community;
  • Combinations to manage risks;
  • Discharge planning: how to effectively liaise with local authorities and all community providers.
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Patient rights
  • Advocacy safeguards for the patient:
    • Independent Mental Health Advocate;
    • Independent Mental Capacity Advocate;
    • Nearest relative;
    • Legal representation;
    • Care and treatment review;
    • Community Mental Health Framework (Care Programme Approach);
  • Confidentiality / sharing information.
CAMHS
  • Children and young people – CAMHS and the law:
    • Human Rights Law for Forensic CAMHS;
    • Children & Young People under the MHA in Hospital;
    • MHA Detention in the Community;
    • Competence / Capacity;
    • Deprivation of Liberty in the Community;
    • Aftercare and Transitioning Planning;
    • Advocacy for Children & Young People;
  • Education Health and Care Plans;
  • Transitioning to adult services;
  • Inherent jurisdiction / Deprivation of Liberty Orders;
  • Child deaths in psychiatric units.
First-tier Tribunal Mental Health
  • MHT procedures and evidence;
  • MHT advocacy skills for clinicians:
    • The legal tests;
    • Legal definition of evidence;
    • Written evidence;
    • Giving oral evidence.
Capacity & the FTTMH
  • The capacity assessment;
  • Capacity to apply for a Tribunal;
  • Capacity to appoint a solicitor;
  • Capacity that fluctuates in a hearing;
  • Capacity to withdraw an application;
  • Capacity to request a public hearing.
Capacity and the Mental Capacity Act
  • Capacity and the MHA;
  • Capacity and the MCA;
  • Capacity and treatment;
  • Capacity assessments:
    • How to carry out a capacity assessment;
    • Relevant information for assessments;
    • Fluctuating capacity;
    • Executive functioning;
    • Best interest decisions;
    • Managing money procedures for those who lack capacity.
Mental Capacity Act
  • International human rights and capacity law;
  • Domestic capacity law:
  • Mental Capacity Act;
  • Deprivation of Liberty;
  • Inherent jurisdiction;
  • Treatment under the MCA.
Mental Capacity Act / Mental Health Act overlap:
  • Deprivation of liberty;
  • Liberty Protection Safeguards;
  • MHA / MCA legal issues;
  • MHA / MCA detention/deprivation of liberty / restrictive care plans;
  • MHA / MCA treatment:
    • Inpatient treatment;
    • Treatment in the community;
  • Legal aspects of liaison psychiatry.
Discharge pathways
  • Discharge pathways, legal frameworks, and risk management restrictions for:
    • General adult patients;
    • Forensic patients;
    • Children and young people.
Legal updates
  • Yearly legal update MHA;
  • Yearly legal update MCA;
  • Yearly legal update DOLS;
  • Reforming the MHA: Review of government recommendations;
  • The Mental Health Act 2025.

Testimonials

Trusted by clients and professionals alike.

A helpful refresher of everything MCA / DOLS related…helpful for supporting colleagues and also thinking about patient pathways
Dr Jane ByrneForensic Personality Disorder Service
Speaker was excellent – very clear and detailed information, engaging presentation. | Speaker was really excellent and provided good insight into how to deal with the MH legislation around people with PD. | Georga is very lovely to listen to. She makes the dry legal matters, more palatable
Medico-Legal Issues Masterclass ParticipantsRoyal College of Psychiatrists
Really enjoyed all the caselaw updates and examples as how these are used in practice. Thank you. Really informative, very knowledgeable.
Emma CoultonManager, Forensic Intellectual and Neurodevelopment Disorder Service
Working across health and criminal justice Georga’s training in legal frameworks, complex discharge planning and the mental capacity act has been invaluable in supporting the best outcomes for our patients.
Alice VanstoneService Manager, Community Forensic Services (FPD, FIND and the Community Forensic Team), Devon Partnership NHS Trust:
Georga has provided expert legal advice which has helped our patients with an absolute discharge from hospital – without her input we would still have patients on long delays without the quality of life they deserve.
Sarah JohnsonHead of Service, Adult Secure Care, South West Provider Collaborative
The content of her presentations has been highly relevant, thought provoking, well-structured and delivered in a very professional and engaging way, resulting in lots of helpful group discussion. Her overall knowledge, expertise, use of up-to-date case law, and amusing anecdotes were all very well received too.
Dr John O’BrienBirmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
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