Child support laws exist to ensure that mothers and fathers support their children, even if the children are not living with both biological parents.

They do not require parents to be married to establish an award, only paternity or maternity must be proven for an obligation to be found. Once paternity is established, usually through a DNA test, courts follow state-mandated guidelines or court determinations in determining an award.

In child support actions, one parent is usually designated as the custodial parent, and accorded the role of primary caregiver. The other parent, or non-custodial parent, is regarded by the laws as the non-custodial parent and remains obligated to pay a proportion of the costs involved in raising the child. In some joint custody cases, where the role of primary caregiver is split equally, laws may dictate that one parent continue to pay for support, if there is a significant disparity in the two parents' incomes.

Child laws vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and there are many approaches to determining the amount of award payments. Many states consider multiple several factors when determining support, such as the income of the parents, the number and ages of children living at home, basic living expenses and school costs. If the child has special needs, the laws may take costs involved with caring for these childrens' exceptional situation into consideration.

They may provide for the earmarking of funds for specific items, such as school fees, day care or medical expenses. These laws serve to make custodial parents more accountable for the money they receive from non-custodial parents, and ensure that the children get what they need. For example, in some jurisdictions may require parents to pay tuition fees directly to their child's school, rather than remitting money to the custodial parent.

Each parent may also be required to assume a percentage of expenses for various needs. For instance, in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, custodial parents are required to pay for the first $100 of annual uninsured medical costs incurred by each child before non-custodial parents are charged. Often, non-custodial parents may be required to add their children to their health insurance plans. This is done to reduce the number of children receiving public assistance.

Most laws provide a mechanism that will imprison a non-custodial parent if they fail to pay their amount due. Non-custodial parents can be sentenced to jail time for up to six months for non-payment. While incarcerated, the parents are still responsible for the amount due and future payments. Child support laws often do not make provisions for if a non-custodial parent is unemployed, filing for bankruptcy, or even homeless -- child support must be paid and will be enforced.

Elijah James has over ten years of experience in family law, and shares all his secrets on Child Support Laws [http://www.webfamilylaw.com/child-support-laws] on his new website [http://www.webfamilylaw.com]

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For over a century, social workers and organisations that represent them, have had to work doggedly to legitimize their work as a profession. modern day social work needs bachelor's degrees for broad based work, and masters degrees for specialised work in the field together with hundreds of hours of hands on training to acquire the positions available.

in the beginning of the 20th century, social work recommends started to form the case for society accepting them as legit enough to adopt a position that would link them with doctors, counsels and clergy. To be sure, the original reply to these assertions wasn't completely or even usually positive. But from that time, numerous hours, efforts and greenbacks have been poured into the demonstration of the critical need of a social element in society working with the medical, psychological, government and other professions.

In the 21st century social work has continued to cope with barriers to its professional status, though through dealing with these, the advocates of the profession have considerably enhanced its status. Added to that, distinguished higher education faculties that have added bachelors and masters options to their curriculum have certainly solidified the legitimacy and necessity of social work everywhere.
Social employees who work in a specialized medical capacity are extensively educated, at length trained, and consistently licensed to provide advocacy for their clients. Other workers in govt programs working with courts and families in need of supervisory services are maligned and frequently disdained as nuisances in the families they attempt to help. Social employees in supervisory positions often work together with the federal and state governments to produce plans and procedures for consistent government social help.

Is there legitimacy to the assumption that social jobs are a true profession in the recent sense? From all present information that indicates benefits, real world help to individuals and families, assistance to courts, and help with medical choices, twenty-first century social work clearly is. Add to that the in depth education and coaching and it's truly solidified together with other respected professions.
nonetheless the area it's not mixed up in is in the area of income. With social employees making between $35,000 and $75,000, dedication to the reason behind social help and justice is typically the greater reward for the person that pursues a long time of schooling and coaching to go into the field. Actually, with no regard for pay, those entering into licensed social work, prove, at any level, they're devoted to the ideal of social work by their willingness to be educated and trained for years and to go through the rigors and cost of reaching their ideal position in their life's work.

For current information on a social worker job explanation [http://www.howtobecomeasocialworker.net/Social-Worker-Job-Description.html], check out [Http://www.howtobecomeasocialworker.net]. General procedure, education needs and more.

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Unfortunately, lying is typically a part of every child's life. Where children pick up lying is uncertain but at some point, they all give lying their best shot. Obviously, no parent wants to have a child that lies but expect it and then consider these helpful steps to stopping it. When it comes to talking to children about lying, the conversation needs to be formulated for success.

1. Start by telling your child that you know he/she has been lying and then provide specific examples. Often, just being busted is enough to stop the bad behavior. Even if it does not make an immediate change, your child needs to understand that you do pay attention to things said and that you will pay even closer attention in the future.
2. Then, explain to your child why lying is so bad. Remember that children lie for many reasons, good and bad. For instance, some children will actually lie as a means of pleasing a parent, not wanting the parent to feel disappointed if they forgot to do something. Therefore, you will need to tell your child why lying is a bad behavior, even when done for good reasons.
3. Always maintain eye contact with your child. This type of one-on-one communication lets the child know that you are serious. Typically, direct eye contact will make the child feel nervous and uncomfortable. With this, he/she may decide that lying is not worth it if he/she has to go through another conversation like the last one.
4. Talking to children about lying allows you to show him/her the type of damage done when untruths are told. For the most part, children never give a second thought to what the lies are doing. This gives you the perfect opportunity to explain how lying hurts and even causes serious damage in numerous ways. Understanding the consequences of the lies might be what your child needs to know.
5. Finally, when talking to children about lying, consider a great method used by Dr. Laura. She had a problem at one time of her son lying. She turned the tables on him, deciding that she too would lie to let him see how it felt. One day, she told her son to go to his room and pack his bags because they were going to Disneyworld the next day. Well, he was thrilled and hurried off to pack. When he started asking specific questions, she said, "Oh, I'm sorry, I was lying." She continued this for one week and you can be sure he never lied to her again.

Jamie Sullivan is a mother of 3 children aged between 4-16 years old and an author of "Child Anger Revealed - Your Ultimate Guide To Deal With Them Effectively" at http://www.ManageYourChild.com.

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Choosing a life of charity and social work or even just deciding to allocate your time to charity and social work is a very big decision that must be thought through. One cannot simply just jump in the water without knowing how to swim. More so, one should not jump into the water without knowing why. There are many emergent global foundations for charity such as the all popular Red Cross, the UNICEF, Amnesty International, Gawad Kalinga Community, just to name a few. There are also other causes that are not necessarily social in nature but still affect society such as PETA and Green Peace. All of these are surely commendable organizations. But these organizations are not without criticism.

Believe it or not, there are some arguments that are against the whole social movement in general. If one would read the popular works of the writer Ayn Rand, one will be able to find one of the best arguments against social activism. We are going here on a more deeply philosophical argument but basically, what she's saying is that social work is a flawed movement because it is founded on people's need to help others simply because they try to fill the void in their own lives. Ayn Rand differentiates two people, the first-handers and the second-handers. First hand people are fonts. They give their own lives meaning. This is a very existential stand point since these people give meaning to their own lives. Individuals who are rational and who follow their path towards spiritual perfection will inevitably do more good for society than those people who feed off the approval of others by doing "good deeds." The second-hander get ideas from the original thinkers. They promote slave morality in Nietzschean terms instead of master morality.

But does thinking this way really help? This only promotes the self serving virtues of capitalism does it not? What will happen to a world like this?

The problem with Ayn Rand's ethics is the same problem with Nietzsche's ethics. Not everyone can bear a system that does not have any metaphysical foundation other than the individual's will to power.

The fact is that not everyone can handle a moral will to power. And also, even if they did, not everyone would have the same set of morals. Thus there will still be inequality, wars, poverty, etc. If one wants to do something about this mess, if one feels the need to help others, this is perfectly justified if it is what they really want. Who cares if the real motivation of charity and social workers is to be acknowledged for their work? In truth, not all social workers think this way as what Ayn Rand suggests.

We must come into terms that the social system right now breeds inequality. We must not accept that this inequality is natural and unavoidable. Surely there are degrees of inequality that is unavoidable, but the system increases the rift between those who have and those who do not have. The rift is too great, this must be fought. There is enough resources in the world to keep everyone alive and well, so why can't people dream of a system that keeps everyone alive and well, supplied with shelter, health care, leisure, work, and food? All the global foundations for charity such as the Red Cross, the UNICEF, Amnesty International, Gawad Kalinga Community, PETA and Green Peace - all of these organizations should be supported. Rational individualism is a just another fairly tale.

A computer graduate and loves to travel. Reading current news in the internet is one of his past times. Taking pictures of the things around him fully satisfies him. He loves to play badminton and his favorite pets are cats and walk with them in the park with some dogs.
To give you more idea, you may want to visit the GK Expo website.

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Writing and analyzing the life history of a community's population is a very common practice for anthropologists. Without it, it is almost impossible to study and understand cultures and the people who live in them. This is a practice that people should take up and turn it into a habit for many reasons.

First, because, as the name says, it is history and it is by learning from others' successes and mistakes that humanity truly advances. Secondly, because it gives the writer the opportunity to study what patterns arise from their lives and how to best use them for their advantage. And thirdly, because it is a concrete legacy. When you are gone, you will have left behind precious memories.
In sum, you are too important not to learn from your own history and not to leave it behind.
How can you write and learn from your life history?

Of course, the first thing that you need to do to decide which tool is better for you. You can write. It really doesn't matter how well you write as long as you write. Get a notebook and a pen (better than a pencil which can be erased more easily). Though handwriting is the best way to do so for the hands have a straight connection to the heart, these days, people are finding more and more that handwriting is too time consuming, not to mention that because they are so used to writing in a word processor, their handwriting has become illegible, to put it mildly. So, go ahead and use your keyboard.

Now, if you truly hate writing or are not able to do that, by all means, use a tape recorder. Make sure to label each tape after you have done recording. If you have the know-how and a microphone, you can also do so using your computer.

Video also works well, especially if you are planning to leave your image behind. Imagine your grandchildren and great grandchildren looking at you 50 years from now. Imagine how endearing seeing you will be to your children after you are gone. These images are just precious.
Secondly, you must be somewhat organized. Make a plan. Of course, this being a huge project, you may feel overwhelmed if you put on paper the whole of the project. However, it may even be good for you to do so, for you will see that this huge thing can be divided into small doable steps. It will be easier for you. Remember to always record the date you have written and the date of your memories.

Third, turn your attention to your lifeline. Decide on a first topic. What you are willing to record or write about at this time? It is imperative that you write all of which that fancies you first. So, write about your first lover. Or first kiss. Or about your life with your pets, or about your school experiences, your first dance, whatever it is. For now, avoid writing about memories that are painful for you.

Fourth: When you are done with all the fun memories, slowly look at those that are not so pleasant followed by those that are a true nightmare. Work on forgiveness for you and those attached to said memories. Cry if you must. Always take deep breaths. When you see that it is becoming too much, stop and if you can go take a shower and or a bath with essential oil of lavender. Water has great healing properties. Also, don't forget to drink water, to help eliminate the poison that is now leaving your core being.

When you are done with your Life History, do just a maintenance check every now and then, describing what is going on with your life at present.

You will see that this is one of the best things you have done for yourself and a great legacy you are leaving for those who love you.

Want to have more love, abundance, health, time, fun, and prosperity? Visit Prescription For Bliss at [http://www.rx4bliss.com], sign up for the newsletter and receive a fr*ee ebook called "Happy People Are More Abundant!" Dr. Maria Moratto is the author of "Want to Save Your Relationship? Know Your Man!" among other books. Visit her site to get fr*ee affirmation cards. Dr. Maria is available for Radio and Television Talk Shows, media interviews, and as a Guest Speaker at your events.
You may reprint this article in its entirety as long as you add this resource box.
© Maria Moratto 2006

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Parents who bring their child to me for Speech Pathology often tell me that they have looked dyspraxia up on the internet, but there are so many different terms that seem to be used it becomes very confusing.

Here are some of the most common terms with their meanings:

Dyspraxia /apraxia
Dyspraxia or apraxia are interchangeable terms which mean that someone is not able to do an action. This is because the brain needs to know how to do an action, plan it, carry it out and make small adjustments, if needed, as the action happens. This is called a motor program or a motor plan. If any disruption happens to this motor planning then the result is a form of dyspraxia (or apraxia).

Developmental dyspraxia / developmental apraxia
The dypraxia is occurring in a child. Children with dyspraxia are born with the condition and it becomes more apparent as a child grows, especially when they have difficulty learning to talk.

Acquired dyspraxia / acquired apraxia
This disorder occurs when there is an interruption to the brain from disease or accident. People who have strokes (CVA) often suffer from dyspraxia. The brain can no longer plan out an action and do it, and this often includes swallowing and speech.

Ideation dyspraxia
Ideation dyspraxia happens when the brain cannot see, or conceptualise, how it is going to start an action or what that action is going to look or feel like. This makes it very difficult for children to learn to do any complex actions like talking, running or climbing.

Ideo-motor dyspraxia
Ideo-motor dyspraxia is when a motor plan cannot be executed (or carried out) properly, even though the person does have the concept of what needs to be done.

Oral dyspraxia / oral apraxia
If a person has dyspraxia that only affects the movements of the face and mouth then this is usually referred to as oral dyspraxia. Oral dyspraxia is often the cause of babies and toddlers drooling and it is hard to make speech sounds. It can also be difficult to blow bubbles, suck through a straw and imitate facial expressions. Babies with oral dyspraxia can find it hard to latch on and establish breastfeeding. When they start to eat food they often resist lumpy food and different textures.

Verbal dyspraxia / verbal apraxia / Childhood apraxia of speech (CAS)
Children with verbal dyspraxia find it hard to learn to talk. Babies use only a few sounds when they babble. They have difficulty learning to make all the sounds they need to talk and putting them together. They will then have trouble trying to put all the sounds in words and joining words into longer words and sentences. When very severe, people with dyspraxia may remain non-verbal and need to use a different communication system such as signing or picture exchange, or a high tech AAC device. Most children, however, can be helped to talk by Speech Pathology.

What to do
Most parents are not able to really identify that their child has a difficulty until they realise that the child is not learning to talk easily. Usually children with dyspraxia are able to show that they have good comprehension (understanding) skills.

If you suspect that your child may have any degree of dyspraxia, please find a local Speech Pathologist who can get to know your child and work out why she or he is having difficulty with talking. If your child has dyspraxia the Speech Pathologist can help you understand the terms and how they relate to your child.

The earlier intervention begins the better, according to all the research. So many later developing language skills depend on a child being able to talk and use communication for many different purposes. But whatever stage your child is at, treatment will make sure that they make gains as quickly as possible.

Speech Pathologists often work together with an Occupational Therapist to make sure your child learns all the skills they need for a happy life.

Discover more about how to deal with this issue at http://www.adelejane.com.

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If we look at the possible careers these days, their number is enormous. Graduating students do not just focus on becoming doctors, dentists, engineers or teachers. Today, many are trying to figure out the benefits of working as a social worker to help many people improve their lives. This is actually a profession that will test the perseverance of an individual compared to other types of careers.

Nowadays, we see great improvements in the different fields of works and we continue to strive for what is suitable for us. However, we cannot say that all the top professions today will remain on top on the years to come. This is the importance of setting a precise goal in life to spend your time and effort choosing the best career in the world.

Due to the increasing numbers of disheartening cases that involve many teenagers and kids worldwide, Social works have become the most effective solutions to deal with these people to renew their lives. Many institutions now offer social worker training to capture the attention of those who love helping, problematic, unemployed, abused or addicted individuals. These people need the best possible care, which is only available through social workers.

Social works today are the positive aspects in saving these men and women by showing them the correct direction to change their negative thoughts. However, we need to understand that becoming a social worker is not an easy task to consider. One must be strong enough to deal with pains and sufferings of the affected individuals. In some cases, these issues may affect the normal life of a social worker. This is the reason why he or she must have the capacity to handle the different consequences, which is possible through having the best social worker training.

Many people consider this kind of profession as a heroic job. Imagine changing the life of a person to live positively despite his or her uncertainties. Well, this is actually a remarkable job if your passion is to help other people who are experiencing serious troubles.

Lately, many students are trying to shift their courses to qualify for this kind of career. They understand that is requires a master's degree to complete the training to receive a certificate. It is very important to complete the exact training hours in order to start working as a social worker. The programs likewise involve real time training to determine if the students can really handle the problems of the involved persons, as this is the true value of becoming a successful social worker.

Check out Socialworkprocesses.co.uk if you are in search of an experienced on-line training company for your social work training and see their diverse list of training programs.

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When we hear Trauma/PTSD, the first thing that comes to mind is the military. Surprisingly, it has only been in the last five years that this association has really been emphasized. The strong association of trauma/PTSD and the military has had one major drawback.

The general public is unaware of the widespread incidence of trauma in the civilian world. For those of us who have specialized in post trauma counseling, we know that many people are suffering and have no idea that their pain and distress can be cured or substantially diminished.

Studies have suggested that 30 - 60% of primary care physician visits are trauma-related. Physical symptoms representing a wide range of body systems drive people to medical visits over and over again. Because their illnesses are not successfully controlled, they experience little if any relief. Adding insult to injury, this category of trauma disrupts memory processing. That is why so many people are unaware that they may be struggling with a trauma-related illness.

Because the majority of medical professionals are not well versed in PTSD and its complex symptom picture, individuals suffering from this illness are often misdiagnosed. It is not uncommon for people to develop physical complaints as the body begins to express prolonged physical stress and psychological pain.

When the medical treatment does not yield substantial relief, the person retreats into shame and guilt for the failure to get better. They become hopeless and withdrawn. As a way of managing pain, 25-45% of traumatized individuals use a variety of drugs/alcohol to manage their distress.

There are contributing factors that make an individual more vulnerable to experiencing a traumatic response. I have listed below a wide range of situations and events that may precede the development of a trauma-related illness.

Just remember that you can't self diagnose. It requires a professional with experience and expertise in post trauma counseling to make an accurate differential diagnosis. The list I have compiled below is not exhaustive but may help you evaluate your risk for developing trauma-related illness including PTSD.

As I mentioned, this is in no way a comprehensive list. My goal is to highlight the wide range of circumstances that can lead to traumatic responses. There are so many people who suffer in silence and experience shame and guilt because they have been unable to overcome their distress on their own.

CONTRIBUTORS TO EMOTIONAL TRAUMA DEVELOPMENT
Child Trauma

• Sexual/physical/emotional abuse, neglect/abandonment, death of parent, severe parental conflict, highly contested divorce/separations, custody battle, school violence

Occupational

• Firefighters, Law Enforcement, ER Personnel, Recovery Workers, Journalists, PTSD Specialists

Relationship Trauma

• Abusive spouse/partner, Death of child, Death of spouse, Miscarriage, Narcissistic partner

Crime

• Physical assault, Rape, Mugging, Kidnapping, Torture

Medical

• Waking during surgery, Serious injury, Loss of limb, Disability, Suicide of family member, Child with life threatening illness

War/Conflicts

• Combat, Prisoner of War, Medics, Terrorism

Other

• Exposure to past trauma, Accidents, Natural/manmade disasters

Is it surprising that millions of people struggle with trauma-related symptoms? It is likely that each one of us knows someone who has experienced what the brain interprets as a significant traumatic event. Psychological trauma is treatable and sharing this opportunity is a gift that can have life changing implications.

Dr. Herbster has been a clinical psychologist for over 19 years and specializes in anxiety and trauma-related illnesses. As a psychologist and a trauma survivor as well, she knows how life changing these events can be. She believes that providing up-to-date information can assist trauma victims in turning a trauma into a triumph.

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In May 2011, the BBC aired an episode of their revered series 'Panorama' which would shock not only the general public, but those who worked daily in care and social services. Winterbourne View Hospital for those with Learning Disabilities became the focus of the media, the law and the world.
Patients were referred from the NHS to the hospital, owned by Castlebeck Care Ltd, under the belief that they would receive appropriate care, assessment and rehabilitation, to allow the service users to return to their normal home life. As the programme documented, a severe amount of abuse was occurring there that was yet to be discovered.

It displayed care workers and nurses at the establishment hitting, slapping and abusing several patients. One carer put a woman into the shower with her clothes still on, and others sat on patients, not allowing them to get up and sometimes even using chairs to perform this act. The serious abuse highlighted the 'appalling standards of care' that were witnessed on the footage.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) reacted quickly to the broadcast, carrying out four inspections of the premises, suspending all admissions to the hospital and pursuing regulatory action against Castlebeck Care, which resulted in the closure of the unit in June 2011. With a Safeguarding Adults Board assembled through the CQC, South Gloucestershire Council and all involved in the hospital, a Serious Case Review was carried out. This was published on August 7th, 2012.

Written by Margaret Flynn, it detailed several missed opportunities for action to be taken and a lack of appropriate training amongst the many criticisms of this case. It reported how complaints had previously been made by patients of the hospital to staff and family members, none of which has been said to have been believed. Former Nurse at the unit, Terry Bryan, explained the situation to the hospital manager in the first instance. When nothing came of this, Terry wrote to the Care Quality Commission to file a Whistleblower report on the abuse that was happening at the establishment. He eventually took this complaint to the BBC, at which point it was handed over to Panorama.

The review states that the owners, Castlebeck Care had in their policies and procedures 'sufficient rules' on how the hospital was to be managed and the services executed. The criticism of this was that staff did not follow the rules and were not enforced to do so. The staff did not receive sufficient training and managers did not fulfil their duty of care. Communication problems were also noted, the most important being that the hospital did not report injuries adequately, often failing to inform the family of the patient, the NHS service from which they were referred and the CQC.

The clear theme throughout the Serious Case Review and Executive Summary was that more questions should have been asked. The organisations involved included the Safeguarding Staff, the Police and the CQC and greater communication would have made more people aware of the problems at Winterbourne View.

The Lessons To Be Learned from the review were comprehensive and a clear indication of how the services need to operate to eradicate the risk of this type of case in the future. It included making better ways to check with hospitals that their patients with Learning Disabilities had ensured safety. It also states that staff need to listen more effectively to patients, especially those with communication problems. Any patients who are taken ill, or have to go to an emergency department whilst admitted to a hospital must be reported to the relevant bodies and communicated to all involved. And lastly that any patients affected by the experience at Winterbourne View must receive any additional help required to recover from their ordeal.

The Winterbourne View case is one that gained a lot of attention from the media and in turn, the general public. Awareness of the abuse in hospitals has been heightened ever since and this will have a positive effect on the reporting of problems in this area, however there is still much to learn from this incident.

Please read the report and leave a comment of reflection of up to 250 words on our CPD social work training and we will send you, once your comment is approved, a certificate for 30 minutes CPD approved to submit to the new HCPC (The Health and Care Professions Council) registration for UK social works or any international social work CPD authority.

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Background
A survey was undertaken to evaluate the use of free online decision and report writing tools designed to promote compliance with the 2005 Mental Capacity Act for England and Wales. In total, 29 individual staff working across a wide range of health and social care settings completed the survey. The percentage return could not be established as the survey invitation was open to anyone who had accessed the tools regardless of whether they had used the tools or not.

Results
A total of 5 forms were removed as respondents stated that they had not actually used the tools. This made them of questionable value in terms of evaluating the usability of the tools. Within this group 2 respondents stated clearly that the tools were not relevant to their role. The remaining 3 respondents did not state why they had not used the tools.

All but one of the respondents who had used the tools reported that using the tools had increased their knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act with more than half saying that their knowledge had increased quite a lot or a great deal.

Respondents were asked to select from a range of options regarding the usability and thoroughness of the Mental Capacity Assessment tool. Considerably more than half felt that the tool made the conducting of assessments easier and more thorough and 7 respondents described the tools as faster. Only one respondent felt the tool made the process slower and one felt it was more complicated. No respondents felt that the tool made the process harder. Additional comments about the tools included, "good evidence" and "excellent".

A total of 96% of respondents said that they would recommend the tools to others.
The providers distinguish the tools from elearning systems and describe them primarily as 'real-time' decision aids and report writing tools. To assess their value as a training system, users were asked how the tools compared to e-learning systems they had used. The majority (75%) of respondents believed that the tools provided a more effective means of learning about the Mental Capacity Act than e-learning.

Respondents were invited to provide additional feedback using free text. The feedback divided into three areas including, benefits, possible improvements and problems.

Benefits

"This tool has assisted with ensuring that completing a MCA and best interest decisions are thorough and comply with the MCA."

"A great tool - has helped us a lot already in meeting the requirements as set out in Law."
"... a way to balance developing knowledge v dealing with the increasing demands placed on care staff due to reduced budgets."

"I have asked a couple of colleagues - a social worker and residential care provider to try them out. They both found them very useful, prompted them to think about things they may not have always thought about and were relatively quick to complete... if the tool means people are documenting assessments and decisions this is a step forward as many people aren't currently!"

Improvements
Main themes included points regarding the wording of some questions e.g.

"Some of the wording can be a little confusing."

"Improve the way the questions are asked."

Some comments suggested improvements to the content and additional supporting material or guidance or modifications for expert users e.g.

"Reference to cases in my view helps."

"A clarification as to whether psychological based care interventons are 'treatments', as we had a scenario where if it was and there was a major dissension then it was potentially a contested Medical Decision and should go to the COP, it was a very minor situation that did not require this but that was where the programme led us from the earlier choice, remedied by not choosing that it was a Medical Treatment."

"Workers bombarded with information these days, application must be as user friendly as possible, the DoLS tool felt quite long, and it would be extra specially useful if it was obvious that information from the report would feed into the DoLS application forms."

"A modification for Best Interests Assessors in the DoLS and MCA processes."

Some respondents found the restrictions on free text or the ability to move backwards in the tools limiting, e.g.

"Allow information to be input on what has already been completed."

"I do think free text is necessary to augment replies, and make assessments more person centered, and my concern would be people may not add any further detail."

"Allow information regarding who you have spoken to.

Problems
A number of respondents (n=5) described having technical difficulties when using the site. These included crashes and loss of connection. There are a number of possible explanations for these problems and it is difficult to establish the extent to which technical problems are due to the tools themselves, the web hosting service, the equipment and browser being used or the reliability of the respondents Internet connection. The providers acknowledge the possibility that these issues are due to the site technology.

Conclusion
The survey findings are positive and provide support for the tools. The tools appear to be valued by the majority of those who use them and demonstrate a number of strengths in terms of their usability, their utility as real time decision aids and also as educational tools. There are some technical aspects identified that could benefit from improvement, particularly technological improvement to provide a smoother and faster user experience.

Mike Hostick is a partner with ehealthtracker, the providers of Mental Capacity Act decision and report writing tools.

The free tools and the survey can be accessed at http://www.ehealthtracker.co.uk

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