The zone of parental control: a reasonable idea or an unusable concept?

Purpose – The Zone of Parental Control (ZPC) is a concept that has been introduced in the Code of Practice for the revised Mental Health Act 1983, but guidance on its scope remains scanty. The purpose of this paper is to bring together recent rulings from case law and the original guidance, and make suggestions for clinicians when deciding if an intervention is within the Zone. Design/methodology/approach – Review and examination of case law, legislation and legal guidance. Findings – Deprivations of liberty fall outside the ZPC, but restrictions of liberty lie within; parental disagreement with care correlates strongly with care that lies outside the ZPC. Originality/value – The findings of this article should aid clinicians in deciding whether a treatment regime lies within the ZPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]