PhD in Psychology Project title: Navigating the Mental Capacity Act to support Sexual Decision-Making for People with Learning Disabilities

Project advert

Mental capacity in relation to sexual decision-making for people with learning disabilities is a complex issue affecting people with learning disabilities and the health and social care (HSC) practitioners who support them. This fully-funded PhD studentship will explore the challenges HSC practitioners face when applying the Mental Capacity Act to assess the capacity of people with learning disabilities to consent to sexual relationships and investigate the implications for the daily lives and sexual and reproductive rights of people with learning disabilities. The student may choose to focus on the perspectives of practitioners, people with learning disabilities, or both.

Co-supervised by the Department of Social Care and Social Work and Manchester Law School, this interdisciplinary PhD will examine, from the perspectives of people with learning disabilities and practitioners, how practitioners can be better supported to navigate legal frameworks related to sexual consent. The project offers the opportunity to work with partner organisation Supported Loving to co-create outputs such as practitioner training and easy-read materials with people with learning disabilities. 

Project aims and objectives

The project aims to explore how the Mental Capacity Act impacts the intimate lives of people with learning disabilities and to understand how health and social care practitioners can be better supported to apply the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) in assessing the capacity to consent to sexual relationships for people with learning disabilities. 

Objectives may include:

• Conducting critical policy analysis/document analysis to investigate how legal frameworks and social policy interact to shape everyday practice.
• Using creative/participatory/innovative/critical research methods of the PhD researcher’s choice to explore people with learning disabilities’ experiences and/or identify the challenges practitioners face and gaps in their understanding of MCA criteria.
• Develop practitioner training and easy-read materials to address these challenges and promote equitable practice.

Entry Requirements

Essential criteria 

• Strong qualitative and/or mixed-methods research skills. 
• A commitment to social justice. 
• An interest in, and understanding of, learning disabilities research, sexuality and sexual and reproductive health and justice research.
• Skills in document analysis/literature review.
• Experience in participatory research, creative/collaborative methods and with interdisciplinary research. 
• Familiarity with the Mental Capacity Act or legal/social policy research.
• Professional or voluntary experience with people with learning disabilities or health and social care settings. 

Funding

The studentship provides an annual stipend at the UKRI standard rate (£19,237 per year for 2024-2025).

Please note, this project is only available to Home students only due to the nature of the funding source. 

How to apply

Interested applicants should contact Dr Monique Huysamen (m.huysamen@mmu.ac.uk) for an informal discussion. 

To apply you will need to complete the online application form for a full-time PhD in Social Care and Social Work (or download the PGR application form).

You should also complete the PGR thesis proposal form addressing the project’s aims and objectives, demonstrating how the skills you have maps to the area of research and why you see this area as being of importance and interest. 

If applying online, you will need to upload your statement in the supporting documents section, or email the application form and statement to PGRAdmissions@mmu.ac.uk. 

Expected start date: October 2025

Please quote the reference: H&E_SCSW_MH_2025_MCAct 

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