DoLS Leads

The Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) procedure is designed to protect the rights of someone where the care or treatment received in a hospital or care home means they are, or may become, deprived of their liberty, and they lack mental capacity to consent to those arrangements.

Lorraine Currie, WM ADASS Associate, supports the region's DoLS activity

DoLS data 2023-24
On 22/08/24 NHS England published the 2023-24 Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) - NHS England Digital
There were an estimated 332,455 applications for DoLS received nationally during 2023-24. This is an increase of 11%, similar to the previous year, which is closer to the rate of growth seen before COVID-19 (between 2014-15 and 2019-20 the average growth rate was 14% each year) following an interim period of relatively small increases in numbers of applications.

The reported number of cases that were not completed as at year end was an estimated 123,790, a decrease of 2% from last year.
 
In the West Midlands region for the year 2023-24 there were 38,525 applications received compared with 34,755 last year, an increase of just over 10% comparable with the national average. 38,580 were completed, in the following locations:
  • 10,140 acute hospitals
  • 445 mental health establishments
  • 13,805 care home nursing
  • 10,830 Care home residential
  • 475 other
  • 2885 blank or invalid
Of note is the fact that of the 10,140 requests in acute hospitals only 540 were granted or just around 5%.
Total outstanding in the region at the year end 11,555 (last year 12,110)
DoLS data 2022-23

An extract for the West Midlands region of the national DoLS data for 2022-23, which shows a 17.5% increase in applications in the region is available from the link or find it in our resources section.

Other resources

See also the article by WM ADASS and DoLs specialist Lorraine Currie I wouldn’t start from here – A blog about the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards

Lorraine recommends the National Mental Capacity Forum one-hour webinars covering many aspects of the Mental Capacity Act. All previous webinars are available to watch online at NMCF Events & Resources - Autonomy Project (essex.ac.uk) 

Our webinar/virtual conference held on 19 October 2023 generated or referenced resources that are available in our resources section:

DoLS webinar 19 October: full slide deck

DoLS webinar 19 October 2023: links from Teams chat

A Digital Cage is Still a Cage by Neil Crowther & Lorna McGregor

Resources added 25 March 2024

Three DoLS documents WM ADASS has reviewed and updated, and ADASS has adopted for wider use have been added to the resources section:

The ADASS DoLS Priority Tool, developed after Cheshire West, has been updated to reflect current practice and priorities.

The Rights Guide is something to be given to people once there is a DoLS authorisation in place to tell them what their rights are.

An easyread version of The Rights Guide.

Further resources added 28 March 2024

The following documents have been added to the resources section:

WM ADASS DoLS forms guidance 2024 has been issued following completion of a review of guidance to support practitioners with the DoLS forms (a set of which are available in the resources library).

We have also produced a recommended DoLS operating model for the West Midlands, which highlights some of the most efficient practices to be utilised in the DoLS process. We recognise that not all Councils can utilise every aspect of the model but we are hopeful that it will be of use to everyone.

Additionally, we are making available two leaflets which highlight the required DoLS information for Care Homes and for Hospitals. These are made available for councils to use and circulate widely.