EHRC 1718-71 Equality, human rights and the Mental Health Act 1983: the case for change

Tender description

Evidence indicates that the Mental Health Act 1983 (the MHA), which applies to England and Wales, is leading to significant inequalities and human rights problems. The recently announced independent review of the MHA , provides a significant opportunity to raise our concerns, to identify the possible reasons for these problems and to make the case for reform. The independent review will publish an interim report by early April 18 and a final report and recommendations by the autumn of 2018. To inform the Commission’s developing thinking in this area we are keen to tender for work to explore three main questions: (1) What evidence exists about the equality and human rights impacts of the MHA and associated policy and practice? (2) How are equality and human rights considerations embedded within other comparative national mental health laws and what learning can be derived for the review of the MHA? (3) What are the alternatives to secure residential mental health care, and what are the comparative costs and benefits of alternative models compared to secure care? Keywords: Social Research