What will you learn?

Capacity assessments can feel complex, high-risk, and difficult to articulate—particularly when your findings influence major decisions such as accommodation, health care, or financial management.

This session breaks the process down into a clear, practical framework, guiding you through how to assess decision-making capacity using occupational therapy principles and functional approaches.

You’ll leave with greater confidence in your role, the ability to apply a structured assessment approach, and the skills to clearly document your findings in a way that reflects both clinical reasoning and real-world application.

By the end of this workshop, you will be able to:

• Understand what constitutes a formal decision-making capacity assessment
• Identify the key components required to demonstrate capacity (understanding, reasoning, consequences)
• Apply a structured OT approach to assessing capacity across different domains
• Use functional tasks, observation, and questioning to gather meaningful evidence
• Differentiate between poor decision-making and impaired capacity
• Recognise factors that may impact capacity, including cognitive, psychosocial, and environmental influences
• Identify when capacity may fluctuate and how to capture this in assessment
• Determine when further assessment or multidisciplinary input is required
• Translate clinical observations into clear, defensible documentation
• Write reports that clearly evidence decision-making capacity (or lack of capacity)

Who is this workshop for?

This training is designed for:

• Occupational Therapists completing functional capacity assessments and reports
• OTs working with clients where capacity is questioned or under review
• Clinicians involved in guardianship, consent, or high-risk decision-making situations
• Clinicians working with complex clients

Why attend?

Being asked to assess decision-making capacity can feel like stepping into legally and ethically complex territory—especially when expectations are unclear.

Attending this workshop will help you:

• Understand your role as an OT in assessing capacity
• Apply a clear and consistent framework in your assessment
• Improve the quality and defensibility of your reports
• Navigate complex situations with greater confidence
• Support client autonomy while managing risk appropriately
• Liaise effectively with key stakeholders regarding consent and capacity requirements

What's included?

• Gain online access to the workshop – live workshops are delivered via Zoom, while self-paced options include access to recorded sessions
• Download workshop slides and any resources provided by the presenter
• Enjoy six months of access to the recording and resources via your Verve OT Learning Library
• Receive a certificate of completion for your CPD records, available via email upon completion of the workshop

Workshop duration: 2 Hours Workshop

Cost: $120.00