The Hospital Managers retain the ultimate responsibility for the execution of all duties or acts carried out by staff in relation to the Mental Health Act 1983 including ensuring that the grounds for detaining service users are valid and legal.
The Mental Health Act Administrators are appointed by the Hospital Managers to a geographical area of the Trust. The Mental Health Act Administrators have a lead role in maintaining processes and systems to support compliance with the Mental Health Act and the Code of Practice.
The key duties of the Mental Health Administrator include;
- Day to day administration of the Mental Health Act.
- Receipt, scrutiny and rectification of documents to ensure they are legally correct and valid.
- Ensuring that Section expiry dates are dealt with within statutory timeframes.
- Co-ordinating hospital manager reviews and mental health tribunals.
- Ensuring that all detained service user s are aware of their rights and that this is recorded.
- Giving advice to staff and service user s when required
The role of the Mental Health Administrator is important because it provides a frame work for compliance with the Mental Health Act by identifying and challenging any errors. Mental Health Administrators have a vital role in safeguarding the legal requirements of the Mental Health Act.