England & Wales

Independent Mental Capacity Assessments — Expert, Reliable, Defensible.

Specialist mental capacity and best interest assessments for legal professionals, NHS and local authority commissioners, care providers, and private individuals.

Qualified BIA AssessorsMCA 2005 Compliant Nationally AvailableRapid Turnaround Defensible, Court-Ready Reports
The problem we solve

When capacity is in question, you need more than a tick-box assessment.

Mental capacity decisions sit at the intersection of law, ethics and human dignity. Getting them wrong carries serious consequences — for the individual, for families, and for the professionals and organisations involved.

Yet too often, assessments are delayed, inconsistent, or lack the rigour that commissioners, courts and regulators expect. Sagencia was founded to change that.

What we do

Specialist assessments. Consistent quality. Nationwide.

A comprehensive suite of mental capacity services — from statutory DoLS and BIA assessments to litigation capacity reports and bespoke training — delivered by qualified, experienced assessors.

Mental Capacity Assessments

Specialist, person-centred assessments in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

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Best Interest Assessments

Independent BIA by qualified assessors — rights-focused, robust and produced to the highest standard.

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DoLS Assessments

Mental health and best interest assessments supporting standard and urgent authorisations.

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Litigation Capacity & Expert Witness

Independent assessments for Court of Protection, PI, clinical negligence and deputyship matters.

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Care Home Compliance

Subscription-based MCA compliance support — protecting your CQC rating and your residents, month after month.

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Training & Consultancy

Bespoke MCA training and compliance support for care homes, NHS teams and legal professionals.

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Who we work with

Trusted by professionals across health, law and care.

Legal Professionals

Expert capacity assessments and court-ready reports for solicitors, barristers and deputies managing CoP, PI and clinical negligence matters.

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NHS & Local Authorities

Flexible, accredited assessment capacity to support your statutory obligations without the delays of overstretched in-house teams.

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Care Homes & Providers

CQC's real-time assessment framework means MCA compliance is now continuous — not annual. One failed inspection can cost you beds. Sagencia keeps you protected.

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Individuals & Families

Clear, compassionate, independent assessments when you need a trusted expert view — not a bureaucratic process.

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Care homes

MCA compliance is no longer a once-a-year event. Is your service ready?

Since CQC moved to a real-time assessment framework, care homes are required to demonstrate continuous MCA compliance — not just at inspection. A drop in your rating hits bed occupancy directly. Sagencia's compliance subscription gives you expert cover, month after month.

Why Sagencia

Built differently. For good reason.

01

Specialism, not generalism

Mental capacity is not a bolt-on service for us. It is the only thing we do. Our assessors are specifically qualified, experienced and continuously developed in MCA and related practice.

02

Governance you can rely on

Every assessment at Sagencia is underpinned by a rigorous quality and governance framework. Our reports are consistent, well-evidenced and built to withstand scrutiny.

03

Commercial professionalism

We understand that commissioners need more than clinical expertise. They need responsiveness, clear communication, reliable turnaround and straightforward administration.

Insights

Insight & Expertise

MCA Practice
MCA Practice

Understanding the two-stage test: capacity assessment in practice

A practical guide to applying the diagnostic and functional elements of the MCA framework.

March 2025
Legal
Legal

CPR Part 35 and the expert capacity witness: what courts expect

How to ensure capacity evidence meets the standards required in Court of Protection and civil litigation.

February 2025
Care Homes
Care Homes

CQC's real-time framework: what it means for MCA compliance in care homes

How the shift to continuous assessment has changed the compliance landscape — and what providers need to do now.

March 2025

Ready to refer a case or find out more?

Whether you have an immediate referral or want to discuss how Sagencia can support your organisation, we would welcome the conversation.

Home → Services

Our Services

A comprehensive range of mental capacity assessment and consultancy services, delivered by qualified practitioners.

Mental Capacity Assessments

Specialist assessment of an individual's capacity to make a specific decision, in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Our assessments are thorough, person-centred and clearly documented.

Suitable for: Families, solicitors, care providers, NHS and local authority teams.

MCA 2005

Best Interest Assessments (BIA)

Independent BIA conducted by qualified Best Interest Assessors, examining whether a deprivation of liberty is in an individual's best interests and the least restrictive option available.

Suitable for: Local authorities, NHS trusts, care homes and supported living providers.

DoLS

DoLS Assessments

Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards assessments — mental health and best interest — carried out by qualified assessors to support standard and urgent authorisations.

Suitable for: Local authorities, NHS trusts, care homes.

DoLS

Litigation Capacity & Expert Witness

Independent capacity assessments for use in legal proceedings, including Court of Protection, personal injury, clinical negligence and deputyship matters. CPR Part 35 compliant.

Suitable for: Solicitors, barristers, deputies and litigation teams.

CPR Part 35

Care Home Compliance Subscription

Recurring MCA compliance support for care homes — handling complex assessments, auditing staff documentation and keeping your service CQC-ready month after month. A retainer model designed around the realities of running a care home in 2025.

Suitable for: Individual care homes, supported living providers, regional care groups.

Subscription

Care & Support Planning

Specialist assessment and planning support for individuals with complex needs. Clear, actionable care and support plans that reflect the individual's wishes, needs and best interests.

Suitable for: Case managers, legal teams, families, NHS and local authority commissioners.

Complex Needs

Training & Consultancy

Bespoke MCA training and consultancy for care homes, NHS teams, local authorities and legal professionals. Practical, evidence-based and tailored to your organisation's context.

Formats: Half-day and full-day workshops, bespoke in-house programmes, MCA compliance reviews.

Training

Ready to make a referral?

We respond to all referrals within one business day.

Home → Who We Work With

Who We Work With

Sagencia works with commissioners, practitioners and families across health, law and care.

Legal Professionals

Expert capacity assessments and court-ready reports for solicitors, barristers and deputies. CPR Part 35 compliant. Experienced in giving oral evidence.

View dedicated page →

NHS & Integrated Care Boards

Flexible, accredited assessment capacity to support your statutory obligations.

  • Outsourced BIA capacity
  • MCA assessments for complex cases
  • Governance-compliant reporting
  • Rapid turnaround options

Local Authorities

DoLS teams under pressure need reliable, qualified capacity at short notice.

  • Standard and urgent DoLS authorisations
  • Qualified BIA assessors
  • Consistent, well-reasoned reports
  • Scalable capacity to meet demand

Care Homes & Providers

CQC's real-time framework means compliance is continuous. Sagencia's subscription model keeps your service protected and audit-ready.

  • Monthly retainer assessments
  • Staff documentation audits
  • CQC-compliant reporting
  • LPS delegated assessment support
View dedicated page →

Individuals & Families

Clear, compassionate and independent assessments — giving families the expert view they need, explained plainly and with care.

  • Independent, expert assessments
  • Clear, plain-English reports
  • Sensitive to family dynamics
  • Guidance on next steps

Not sure which service is right for you?

Get in touch and we will guide you to the right assessment for your situation.

Home → Who We Work With → Care Homes & Providers

For Care Homes & Providers

MCA compliance that protects your residents, your rating and your revenue — month after month.

The compliance landscape has changed

CQC now assesses you continuously. Is your MCA practice keeping up?

In 2025, CQC moved to a real-time assessment framework. Care homes are no longer judged on a snapshot inspection — they are required to demonstrate continuous, documented MCA compliance. The consequences of falling short are immediate: a drop in your rating directly affects bed occupancy and revenue.

At the same time, the incoming Liberty Protection Safeguards (LPS) are expected to delegate assessment responsibilities to care home managers — adding further pressure on teams that are already stretched.

Sagencia exists to take that pressure off you. We act as your outsourced MCA department — handling complex assessments, auditing your staff's documentation and ensuring your service is inspection-ready at all times.

The risk of getting it wrong

What's at stake.

CQC rating drop

A single failed MCA inspection can downgrade your rating — with an immediate impact on referrals, occupancy and revenue.

Legal exposure

Poorly documented or absent capacity assessments leave your organisation exposed to challenge, complaint and litigation.

LPS readiness

When LPS comes into force, care home managers will carry new assessment responsibilities. Sagencia can act as your delegated assessor — so you are ready before the reforms land.

Staff confidence

Many care staff lack the confidence to produce legally defensible MCA documentation. Sagencia's audit service identifies gaps before CQC does.

How we work

The Sagencia compliance subscription.

We offer three service tiers designed to match the scale and complexity of your organisation. All tiers include a named Sagencia assessor, monthly reporting and direct line access.

Essentials

£500/month
Per home · minimum 3 months
  • Up to 2 complex MCA assessments per month
  • Monthly documentation audit
  • Written audit report for CQC file
  • Named assessor contact
  • Email support for staff queries

Professional

£850/month
Per home · minimum 3 months
  • Up to 4 complex MCA assessments per month
  • Monthly documentation audit
  • Staff assessment review & feedback
  • LPS readiness review
  • Named assessor + phone support
  • Quarterly MCA training session

Group

POA
For regional care groups (5+ homes)
  • Custom assessment volume per cluster
  • Group-wide documentation audits
  • Centralised reporting dashboard
  • Dedicated senior assessor
  • Annual MCA compliance review
  • Priority turnaround SLA
Also available

One-off assessments for care homes.

Not ready for a subscription? We also provide one-off assessments for care homes on a per-case basis — including complex MCA decisions (bed rails, covert medication, placement), DoLS assessments and BIA. Contact us to discuss your needs.

Complex MCA Decisions

Bed rails, covert medication, placement decisions and other high-risk scenarios requiring expert independent assessment.

DoLS & BIA

Standard and urgent Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards assessments — mental health and best interest — for residents in your care.

MCA Staff Training

Half-day and full-day in-house training workshops tailored to your team's existing knowledge and your home's specific context.

Ready to protect your rating?

Talk to us about the right level of support for your home or group. We'll put together a proposal within 48 hours.

Home → About Us

About Sagencia

Expertise, integrity and a commitment to getting it right.

Our story

Built on a gap in the market. Designed to fill it properly.

Sagencia was founded by two brothers who between them bring together deep clinical expertise in mental capacity practice and the commercial and operational rigour of a professional services firm.

We saw a gap in the market — not for more capacity assessors, but for a genuinely specialist, professionally run practice that commissioners, legal professionals and families could rely on consistently.

Our team

Meet the founders

SB

Simon O'Donnell Bath

Managing Director — BIA | Social Worker | Case Manager

Simon is a highly experienced social worker and specialist practitioner with over a decade of experience in mental capacity, best interest and case management practice. He has worked across hospitals, rehabilitation services, education and statutory care settings, supporting individuals with a wide range of needs including brain injury, dementia, neurological disease, autism, learning disabilities and mental health conditions.

Simon holds specialist qualifications in mental capacity and best interest assessment and has an established track record of working with legal teams on complex and catastrophic injury cases. He operates within the governance framework of the 3HUB Case Management Community.

Qualified BIASocial WorkerCase Manager3HUB Community
PB

Paul Bath

Executive Chairman — FCA (ICAEW) | CFO | COO

Paul is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) with a career built in senior commercial and financial leadership. He has served as both CFO and COO of a national market research business, developing deep expertise in building scalable operational infrastructure, financial governance and professional services delivery.

At Sagencia, Paul is responsible for the commercial, operational and governance framework of the business — ensuring that every client interaction is handled with the professionalism and clarity that commissioners and legal professionals expect.

FCA (ICAEW)CFOCOO
Our values

What guides everything we do.

Integrity

We say what we find. Our assessments are independent, honest and evidenced.

Rigour

Every report we produce is thorough, well-reasoned and defensible.

Respect

We treat every individual we assess with dignity, patience and care.

Reliability

We deliver what we commit to, when we commit to it.

Home → Insights

Insights

Commentary, guidance and analysis on mental capacity practice, law and policy.

MCA Practice
MCA Practice

Understanding the two-stage test: capacity assessment in practice

A practical guide to applying the diagnostic and functional elements of the MCA framework.

March 2025 · 6 min read
Legal
Legal

CPR Part 35 and the expert capacity witness: what courts expect

How to ensure capacity evidence meets the standards required in Court of Protection and civil litigation.

February 2025 · 8 min read
DoLS & BIA
DoLS & BIA

DoLS pressures and the case for outsourced BIA capacity

With local authority DoLS teams under sustained pressure, many are turning to specialist providers.

January 2025 · 5 min read
Care Homes
Care Homes

CQC's real-time framework: what it means for MCA compliance in care homes

How the shift to continuous assessment has changed the compliance landscape — and what providers need to do now.

March 2025 · 7 min read
Policy
Policy

Liberty Protection Safeguards: what care homes need to know right now

The LPS reforms will hand new assessment responsibilities to care home managers. Here's what's coming, and how to prepare.

February 2025 · 9 min read
Training
Training

Why MCA training fails — and what good looks like

Most MCA training is compliance-driven and surface-level. Here's what genuinely effective training achieves.

November 2024 · 4 min read
Home → Refer a Case

Refer a Case

Fast, straightforward, professional. We aim to respond within one business day.

Or contact us directly: referrals@sagencia.com

Referral received

Thank you. We will be in touch within one business day.

Home → Contact

Get in Touch

We welcome enquiries from commissioners, legal professionals, care providers and individuals.

Contact details

General enquiriesinfo@sagencia.com
Websitesagencia.com

Whether you have an immediate referral, want to discuss a training requirement, or simply want to understand more about how Sagencia works, please get in touch.