The Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) are an aspect of the Mental Capacity Act of 2005 enacted in the United Kingdom. They are designed to protect the most vulnerable members of society in hospitals and care homes and play a significant role in preventing the illegal detention or mistreatment of people who lack the mental capacity required to make their own decisions. This safeguarding and social work course provides the training required to begin your career as a DoLS assessor and also suits anyone who looks after an elderly or mentally incapacitated person.

We begin by explaining what ‘deprivation of liberty’ means, when it should be used and how to avoid it. We then summarise the DoLS provisions and explore their background. The course then examines the Mental Capacity Act and lays out its five principles, code of practice and other related laws. We provide an in-depth understanding of the authorisation processes for deprivation of liberty and compare standard and urgent authorisation.

Before the supervisory authority grants a DoLS request, it must undertake six critical evaluations. This section of the course describes these assessment measures and explains how to perform them. Finally, we explore the roles of different DoLS professionals, including the Approved Mental Health Professional, the Independent Mental Capacity Advocate, the Court of Protection, the Care Quality Commissions and others. The industry experts at Course Gate have developed this course to help you understand DoLS and advance your caregiving and social work career. Sign up today to learn how the UK’s Mental Capacity Act of 2005 protects the health, wellbeing and dignity of society’s most vulnerable people.