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Deprivation of liberty
A person living in a care home or nursing home or being treated in hospital may need to have decisions made for them about where they are treated. This is known as a 'deprivation of liberty'
Deprivation of liberty safeguards for care homes and hospitals
Each care home or hospital is known as the managing authority.
Care homes and hospitals must get authorisation from the supervisory body to deprive someone of their liberty.
Supervisory bodies
The managing authority will need to contact the supervisory body for the area where the person is ‘ordinarily resident’. This would be the supervisory body for the council which arranged the person’s care.
For example, if a person lives in a care home in Leicestershire but their care was arranged by Nottinghamshire County Council, they’ll be considered to be ordinarily resident in Nottinghamshire. If a person’s care was arranged by Leicestershire County Council but they’re living in a care home outside the county, we will be the supervisory body.
Leicestershire County Council is the supervisory body for people who are ordinarily resident in Leicestershire and Rutland.
Leicester City Council is the supervisory body for people who are ordinarily resident in Leicester.
Urgent authorisation
The managing authority can issue an ‘urgent authorisation’ for themselves for up to 7 days.
To deprive someone of their liberty for longer than 7 days they must immediately ask the supervisory body for an assessment to get a standard authorisation, by completing the online DoLS Form 1 which takes approximately 15 minutes to do.
The following information is needed:
- your contact details
- the managing authority's details
- Care Quality Commission Code
- personal details about the person being deprived of their liberty including equalities information
- medical details about the person being deprived of their liberty including their GP's details
- how the person's care placement is being funded
- contact details for interested persons
- advance decisions
- current care arrangements
- conditions that are currently being met to suggest that a deprivation of liberty is already happening
After submitting the form you'll receive an email to confirm that your request has been received, with a copy of the information.
Online DoLS Form 1 - Standard and Urgent Authorisation Request
Alternatively, you can print off, complete and fax back the PDF version:
PDF DoLS Form 1 - Standard and Urgent Authorisation Request Opens new window
Extend an urgent authorisation
A managing authority can ask the supervisory body to extend an urgent authorisation using the:
PDF DoLS Form 1 - Standard and Urgent Authorisation Request Opens new window
Ask for a review
The care home or hospital must regularly check to see if the person still needs to be deprived of their liberty.
Review of an authorisation
Use Form 10 to ask us to review a deprivation of liberty authorisation:
PDF DoLS Form 10 - Review of an authorisation request Opens new window
Request for a further standard authorisation
Submit Form 2 up to 28 days in advance of a current standard authorisation expiry date. You can now use an online form to make this request:
Online DoLS Form 2 - Further standard authorisation request
Alternatively, you can print off, complete and fax back the PDF version:
PDF DoLS Form 2 - Further standard authorisation request Opens new window
Suspension of a standard authorisation
Use Form 7 to suspend a standard authorisation:
PDF DoLS Form 7 - Suspension of standard authorisation Opens new window
Where to fax DoLS forms
Download deprivation of liberty forms and fax the completed form to our secure fax on 0116 305 5555. Phone us first on 0116 305 7853 to tell us you’re sending the fax.