For you
What does capacity mean for you?
We all love the freedom of being able to make decisions. But what happens when something affects your ability to decide? Your ability to make an ‘informed decision’ is at the heart of your experience in your community.
Professionals call this capacity. It is the ability to:
U
Understand
Understand the information relevant to the decision.
01R
Remember
Retain that information long enough to decide.
02W
Weigh
Weigh up the information as part of making the decision.
03U
Use
Use the information and communicate the decision.
04If something is affecting your capacity, you might make a decision you regret, or not be able to decide at all.
Sometimes this is called being ‘vulnerable’, but we don’t like that term. Anyone can have limited capacity. Capacity can come and go — it depends on the time and the decision.
Some things are known to have a big impact:
- Dementia
- Hearing or sight loss
- Learning disabilities
- Mental health issues
- Autism
- Every retailer and organisation should be trained to provide extra support where it is needed. Even a small amount of training makes a massive difference.
- If your retailer displays the Support Inform marque, its staff understand when capacity can be affected and know how to help sensitively and discreetly.
- You can be assured they won’t take advantage, and you don’t have to worry about being embarrassed or uncomfortable.
- You can let them know you need a little extra help simply by asking. If you’d rather not say, that’s fine too — they’ll know when to help without making a song and dance about it.
- If your organisation isn’t trained yet, don’t lose heart — we’re working on it.
Is your organisation or retailer certified?
Want to learn it yourself?
Take the course — £10Let’s build supportive organisations
Start supporting your community today — become part of an accessible network of supportive organisations.