Consent to Care & Treatment Form

What is a consent form in care?

A consent to care and treatment form records what a person agrees to when their care starts. They tick yes or no for each area of care, and they can agree to some things and not others. Signing it once does not replace asking, so staff still ask for consent before each task. The form works for care homes, home care and supported living.

What the form asks

• About you, including how the person likes to communicate and what support helped explain the form

• Agreement to areas of care: washing and dressing, toileting, eating and drinking, moving with equipment such as hoists, medicines, health checks, photographs for the care record, and staff talking to the GP or to named people

• People you want us to talk to, and what staff may share with them

• Legal documents: lasting powers of attorney, a deputy appointed by the court, an advance decision to refuse treatment, or a written statement of wishes

• Changing your mind

• Signatures, including how the person agreed if they could not sign, with a witness

• A staff capacity check

• Reviews

Filling it in with the person

Offer the form in a format the person can use, such as large print or easy read. Explain each item in a way that suits them. If you doubt their capacity for any decision, do not ask them to sign for it. Assess capacity first, and if they lack it, the service acts under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and records a best interests decision.

A relative's view is a view about best interests, and it only counts as consent if they hold legal authority for that decision. A lasting power of attorney gives no authority unless it is registered, so Part 4 records whether staff have seen a registered copy.

Review the form at each care plan review, and sooner if anything changes.

Before you use this consent form

Delete the rows that do not apply to your service and add any that do. The template suggests extra rows for each setting: night checks, room keys or sensor equipment in a care home; entering the home, key safe use and visit times in home care; and support with money, shopping and the person's tenancy in supported living.

The Consent Policy & Procedure sets out the rules this form follows. If capacity for a decision on the form is in doubt, use the Mental Capacity Assessment Form, then the Best Interests Decision Record if the person lacks it.