Commentary on Sections Part 15 – Preliminary Duties on the Making of Orders Section 231: mental health officer’s duty to prepare social circumstances report
422.Subsection (1) of section 231 provides that within 21 days of the occurrence of one of the events listed in section 232 the mental health officer must prepare a social circumstances report and send a copy to the patient’s responsible medical officer and the Commission. However, a report need not be prepared where the mental health officer believes that the report would serve little, or no, practical purpose (subsection (2)). Regulations made by the Scottish Ministers will set out the information that is to be contained in such a report.