DoLs Checklist
This checklist is to be used as a guidance tool only. It can be used by those professionals involved in care planning, admissions and reviews.
Any deprivation of liberty occurring or likely to occur in a hospital or care home needs to be assessed on an individual basis.
What is a deprivation of liberty?
Where the treatment or care regime, rather than the relevant person’s own health or condition, lead to ongoing significant restriction and/or restraint of the person’s freedom. A deprivation of a person’s liberty may be occurring if, for example:
- The decision to admit the relevant person to a care home or hospital is being opposed by relatives or carers who live with that
- Force being used to prevent the relevant person from leaving the care home or hospital, in a situation where that person is making purposeful and persistent attempts to
- The relevant person is adamant that he/she wants to return home and has not given valid consent to the placement.
- Visitors are not allowed, or severely restricted.
- The relevant person is being sedated to prevent her/him from making an attempt to leave the care
- The care home is denying the request by relatives or carers for the resident to be discharged
- The resident is being denied freedom of movement/ association within the care home and/or his/her access to the community is severely
If you have any queries or concerns regarding a possible deprivation of liberty, please discuss with your line manager. The Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLs) team is also available to support and advise.
Using this checklist
If a deprivation of liberty is occurring or likely to occur and the resident cannot be cared for in a least restrictive way, then the home manager must request a DoLs assessment. This checklist includes possible triggers to enable you to decide whether to request an assessment, or not.
DoLs Tracker
This tracker can be used to ensure that you maintain a comprehensive list of all individuals who have been assessed and are subject to DoLs Authorisations. The tracker also allows you to quickly identify where conditions are placed on the DoLs authorisation to enable full and proper audit of the DoLs granted within your service.