ABSTRACT
In this chapter we begin to examine what our empirical evidence reveals about the reality of the 1983 Act for social services departments. We consider first the overall pattern of use of the three major sections governing compulsory detention, the impact of the ASW on whether treatment takes place compulsorily in hospital or not, and the resources used in avoiding hospital admission. The analysis indicates some progress in achieving goals concerned with further l imiting use of emergency admissions but suggests little extension of the use of less restrictive alternatives than detention in hospital, not least because of resource limitations.
