This policy outlines the Isle of Wight Council’s arrangements for the operation of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). DoLS were an amendment to the MCA 2005 which came into effect in April 2009. The Policy is also Care Act 2014 compliant.

DoLS provides a framework to:

 1)            The deprivation of liberty safeguards provide legal protection for those vulnerable people who are, or may become, deprived of their liberty within the meaning of Article 5 of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in a hospital or care home;

2)           To help to identify when a person who lacks mental capacity to consent to it, is deprived of their liberty to ensure that any deprivation of liberty is lawful and provide an Appeals Process.