The Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland is an independent organisation. Its role is to safeguard the rights and welfare of everyone with a learning disability, mental illness or other mental disorder. The Commission is made up of people with experience of mental health and learning disability services, medicine, social care and law, who are called Commissioners. Most of the Commissioners have been appointed because of their professional background, others because of their experience either of using mental health and learning disability services or in caring for a service user.
The Commission also has a wider role in promoting best practice in the use of mental health legislation. In particular the Commission is here to make sure that care and treatment of a person with a mental disorder is in line with the principles of the 2003 Act.
The Scottish Executive's Review of Public Bodies made a commitment that each public body should be subject to a policy and financial management review at least once every five years. The last review of the Commission was completed in April 2007.