Expected implementation date for DoLS replacement model announced by care minister

The model to replace the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) is expected to be implemented in October 2020, the care minister has announced.

In a letter to members of Parliament this week, Caroline Dinenage announced that the Liberty Protection Safeguards (LPS) would come into force from 1 October 2020, subject to ongoing work around implementation planning and developing regulations on how the system will work.

The Mental Capacity (Amendment) Act 2019, the legislation introducing the new system, became law in May after completing its journey through Parliament.

Initially, a Spring 2020 date had been mooted for the implementation of LPS; however, the government believes that the later start date will help to enable a successful implementation and ensure that people subject to a deprivation of liberty authorisation benefit immediately.

Dinenage also confirmed in the letter that DoLS authorisations in force at the time of LPSs’ implementation would remain in place until they expired, with the LPS running alongside the old system temporarily.

This is to avoid re-authorising deprivations of liberty under LPS, which the government saw as repetitive and burdensome.

Emphasis on code of practice

The final implementation date for LPS will also be dependent on the development of a code of practice that will assist practitioners in getting to grips with the LPS.

Dinenage said the government was working closely with stakeholders to develop draft chapters for the code, which will be followed by a public consultation on it. She said a final draft should be laid before Parliament in Spring 2020, along with a final set of regulations.

“My absolute priority is to ensure the code of practice delivers on providing detailed and easy to understand guidance which will ensure the successful implementation of the new system,” Dinenage added. “Our focus must be on getting this right.”

Dinenage said the development of the code was aligned with the Ministry of Justice’s work to update the Mental Capacity Act code of practice.

Preparation materials for councils

She also confirmed that the government would shortly publish initial materials for councils that would help them prepare for the implementation of LPS.

Dinenage said these materials should be used as a “starting point” in preparations for using the new system.

She added that the government was developing training both to support staff with the change to the new system and to approve people to become approved mental capacity professionals (AMCPs).

AMCPs will be practitioners with specialist training in the MCA – likely to be mostly social workers – whose role will be to provide an independent check, known as a pre-authorisation review, on whether the conditions for a deprivation of liberty under LPS have been met.

The AMCP role is intended to build upon the existing best interests assessor role.

“We are working to ensure that all relevant health and social care practitioners will be well supported ahead of and during roll out of the new system, and we will be working with Skills for Care, Health Education England and others to develop training materials,” a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care added.