Ms Suzy Byrne:

We outlined that the process for discharge from a wardship, in terms of medical assessment or capacity assessment, is different at present in that it is general practitioners and consultant psychiatrists or gerontologists who are involved in the assessment, whereas there is a broader range of specialist or multidisciplinary assessors in the other parts of the Act. That would include speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, nurses and social workers, who would have experience, depending on the profession, with regard to speech and language and supporting people in the circumstances the Senator outlines. The person coming to meet with somebody may not have all the information available to them about the communication style of the individual. This is where we have found that where there are advocates involved who are aware of those things they can bring to the attention of the assessor that there are particular ways in which questions might be put to people or information presented to them and that people might communicate in means other than speech. Also, if there were other natural supports available that were involved in people's lives, they would be able to bring that information to the attention of the assessors.