Deprivation of liberty safeguards (DoLS) authorisation

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What is a deprivation of liberty?

A person is deprived of their liberty if they:

lack capacity to make a decision about where they are living and their care needs

are subject to a high level of supervision and control

are not free to leave the hospital or care home permanently

have any state involvement in their care e.g. funding of the placement or hospital, or being regulated by the Care Quality Commission

The deprivation of liberty must be authorised by us as the Supervisory Body.

The hospital or care home should apply for DoLS authorisation. They should do this before the person moves into their care if possible.

For more information, see:

Request a DoLS authorisation

Care homes and hospitals can request a:

standard authorisation

urgent authorisation (7 days)

further standard authorisation and 7 day urgent extension

The urgent authorisation now includes the 7 day extension. This gives you 14 days including the day you apply.

Which authority to apply to

Make sure you apply to the correct local authority. If the person is:

self-funding or homeless, apply to the local authority in your area

being paid for by another local authority, apply to that local authority

paid for by NHS continuing healthcare, apply to the local authority that they lived in

Apply to Dorset Council

If you have a question, call 01305 225650.

Apply to Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole

If you have a question, call 01202 118700.