Baron David Ward

[SteveUK]

If the baron is to be believed, they are trying to section him

[TheNewSaint]

That message seems a little unhinged, even compared to his prior ones. I can just hear "there coming to take me away ha ha" at the end of it.

[longdog]

If what he says is something like true then it doesn't sound much like an attempt to have him sectioned but more like meetings to assess what if anything his needs are from the social services and / or mental health services.

If it were a sectioning thing I would've expected the input of a psychiatric nurse or psychiatrist and a bit more urgency.

That said, if he's treating the social workers as enemies and being obstructive I don't see them achieving very much.

[TheNewSaint]

I am still here. The 23rd of December has come and gone and I am still here

Again, that was the day Santander could begin eviction proceedings, not the day bailiffs would show up at his door to do it. David clearly doesn't understand this. Which means it will be even more entertaining when the bailiffs show up in a few weeks.

[PeanutGallery]

In fact usually you won't be evicted on that date, bailiffs like almost everywhere else have a waiting list (they also don't evict people over the Christmas period due to it being a holiday and the possibility that social services will be involved). Assuming his eviction hasn't been escalated to the high court (which generally is faster and benefits from giving no further notice) then he will receive a second letter from the bailiffs setting out when he will be evicted.

[ArthurWankspittle]

If what he says is something like true then it doesn't sound much like an attempt to have him sectioned but more like meetings to assess what if anything his needs are from the social services and / or mental health services.

If it were a sectioning thing I would've expected the input of a psychiatric nurse or psychiatrist and a bit more urgency.

That said, if he's treating the social workers as enemies and being obstructive I don't see them achieving very much.

This ^
Because I can't see Social Workers having the power to "Section" someone.

[rosy]

If what he says is something like true then it doesn't sound much like an attempt to have him sectioned but more like meetings to assess what if anything his needs are from the social services and / or mental health services.

If it were a sectioning thing I would've expected the input of a psychiatric nurse or psychiatrist and a bit more urgency.

That said, if he's treating the social workers as enemies and being obstructive I don't see them achieving very much.

This ^
Because I can't see Social Workers having the power to "Section" someone.

Outside of an emergency, they do not have that power by themselves, but if they have sufficient training and experience they can be the "approved mental health professional" who needs to sign off on the detention together with two doctors (one of whom must be certified as having experience in the diagnosis or treatment of mental illness) under section 2 or 3 of the Mental Health Act. The detention is for 28 days (s2) or six months (s3).

In an emergency, however, such as if someone refused to allow a social worker or doctor into the house and there was fear for their safety due to their illness, a social worker who is an amhp can get the magistrate to sign a warrant allowing them to enter the house (usually with the police) and take the person to a place of safety. Emergency detention lasts 72 hours, and the person might then allowed to leave or further sectioned under s2 or s3.

^^That's not exhaustive but explains the role of the social worker in sectioning someone with mental illness.

The fake baron may be living in an alternate universe, but unless he's a real danger to himself or others, I doubt he'd be sectioned - there aren't the beds for one thing. His delusional beliefs don't stop him from performing activities of daily living and he doesn't seem to be at risk of harming others (other than by bombarding them with paper and emails).

Getting evicted (when it happens) is his own fault, and the council have no duty to house him as he'll be classed as intentionally homeless and not in priority need.

[ArthurWankspittle]

Thanks for that. Do I reword my comment to some Social Workers have the power to Section someone? I would guess that in the majority of cases where a Social Worker thinks they have someone who is mentally ill and a risk that they have a backup of getting the Police round ASAP and working from that point.

[Forsyth]

If what he says is something like true then it doesn't sound much like an attempt to have him sectioned but more like meetings to assess what if anything his needs are from the social services and / or mental health services.

If it were a sectioning thing I would've expected the input of a psychiatric nurse or psychiatrist and a bit more urgency.

My guess would be "trying to section me" translates as "trying to determine if I am a vulnerable person" and "interpriter [sic]" as "an appropriate adult".

For those not in the UK, a vulnerable person can, at least some of the time, encompass a vast range of people with various special requirements. In particular it can include people with learning difficulties or mental health problems who do not need assistance in day-to-day matters, but may need someone to make sure that they understand complicated situations and possible consequences. In many ways the UK definition goes beyond that in other countries, however the assistance offered may be as little as, for example, having a neutral person to explain things in simple terms - which may be where the interpreter comments come from.

This may, however, result in a hold being put on an eviction. If it can be shown that the "Baron" was incapable of understanding or dealing with his position before the eviction, or would be unable to care for himself afterwards, then it may result in things taking a much slower course.

It should be noted that there are large numbers of vulnerable people in the community and the vast majority do not present in the same way as the Baron does.

[notorial dissent]

I don't know if they are actually trying to actively "section" him, but I would bet that between the volume and volumes of crazy he regularly generates, that they are looking to have him evaluated to see if he is capable of understanding what is going on, i.e. being a vulnerable person. In many ways he very much reminds me of elderly people I have known who have slipped in to a level of dementia that they CANNOT take care of everyday things for themselves.

[TheNewSaint]

In particular [the vulnerable person designation] can include people who do not need assistance in day-to-day matters, but may need someone to make sure that they understand complicated situations and possible consequences.

But the Baron's writings indicate that he understands his situation and consequences perfectly. The solicitor's letter tells him he must do X or Z will happen, and he responds precisely why he does not have to do X and why Z cannot happen. He understands what the threat of eviction entails, because he posts about it constantly on Facebook, and has made preemptive threats against anyone who comes to do it.

He certainly needs legal assistance, but otherwise I don't see anything vulnerable about him. He understands his situation. He has lived alone for a couple years now, to no apparent detriment. He's just another Tom Crawford, with more esoteric freedman theories, and less skill at building a support base.

BDW seems to have some kind of narcissism/autism combination. He's obsessed with his fantasy world of barons, his very lofty status within it, and thinking everyone else is beneath him.

[The Observer]

BDW seems to have some kind of narcissism/autism combination. He's obsessed with his fantasy world of barons, his very lofty status within it, and thinking everyone else is beneath him.

I have seen many in the FOTL/sovrun/TP movement who exhibit some of the indicators of being narcissistic and in some cases having autism, at least in terms of having oppositional behaviors towards authority. Some have argued that these lend themselves to being able to diagnose the individual as being delusional, but I can't agree with that, for the very same reasons that you listed these people also show that they are able to take care of themselves and are cognizant that there are potential consequences for their decisions.

[notorial dissent]

The problem is that some people can and do appear perfectly competent and lucid in certain situations, and can still be completely gone in others. I speak from experience as I have a long time friend in this condition, who can function day to day and generally appears fully functional, yet cannot handle their own affairs.

I suspect they want and need to be sure one way or the other when dealing with Baron Baloney.

[longdog]

I'm not 100% sure about this but I think that to actually be detained for treatment you have to actually have a treatable condition and I'm not at all sure Baron Trampbeard falls into that category.

Almost everybody has some totally irrational beliefs it's just that the baron's irrational beliefs are going to leave him destitute and homeless. That makes him a fucking idiot but being a fucking idiot isn't sectionable.

[notorial dissent]

I suspect it is more that they want to make sure he doesn't have a problem so that they can go ahead and evict him rather than have him use that as a delaying excuse. I don't think there is any question but that he is a whackjob, but I don't think he is a mentally incompetent whackjob.

[TheNewSaint]

I've long felt the DSM manual needed a category for "just an asshole."

[grixit]

That message seems a little unhinged, even compared to his prior ones. I can just hear "there coming to take me away ha ha" at the end of it.

Do you remember what was on the flip side of that song?

[longdog]

That message seems a little unhinged, even compared to his prior ones. I can just hear "there coming to take me away ha ha" at the end of it.

Do you remember what was on the flip side of that song?

That would be "Ah ah yawa em ekat ot gnimoc er'yeht" if I'm not mistaken.

[grixit]

Correct. And i think that version is more appropriate to his outofhisgourdship.

[Burnaby49]

That message seems a little unhinged, even compared to his prior ones. I can just hear "there coming to take me away ha ha" at the end of it.

Do you remember what was on the flip side of that song?

That would be "Ah ah yawa em ekat ot gnimoc er'yeht" if I'm not mistaken.

Yes. The flip was exactly the same recording but played in reverse.