DOLS Assessment Stages

🧠 DoLS: Key Professional Roles and the Assessment Process

The Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) process involves multiple professionals who ensure that restrictions placed on individuals are lawful, necessary, and in their best interests. Let's look at the key roles involved and the two-stage assessment process.

👩‍⚕️ Key Professional Roles

• Mental Health Assessor: A doctor (Section 12 approved or with 3+ years specialist experience) who confirms whether the individual has a mental disorder under the Mental Health Act.
• Best Interests Assessor (BIA): A qualified professional (e.g. social worker, nurse, occupational therapist, or psychologist) with 2+ years post-registration experience. They determine whether the deprivation of liberty is necessary, proportionate, and in the individual’s best interests.
• Eligibility Assessor: A Section 12 approved doctor or a trained BIA who evaluates whether the individual could instead be detained under the Mental Health Act. If so, they may be ineligible for a DoLS authorisation.
• Supervisory Body: Typically the local authority, this body reviews all assessments, grants the authorisation if criteria are met, and appoints a Relevant Person’s Representative (RPR) to act in the person’s best interests.

Assessors must not be related to the individual or have any financial interest in their care. At least two assessors must be involved in the process.

📋 Stage One: Initial Assessments

These four assessments must be passed before authorisation can continue:

1. Age Assessment: The individual must be aged 18 or over.
2. Mental Capacity Assessment: Determines if the person lacks capacity to consent to care arrangements.
3. No Refusals Assessment: Checks for existing advance decisions, LPAs, or court orders that may override or conflict with DoLS.
4. Eligibility Assessment: Confirms that the person is not eligible for detention under the Mental Health Act.

If any of these are not met, the DoLS process cannot proceed.

🧪 Stage Two: Further Assessments

If stage one is passed, four additional assessments are conducted:

• Mental Health Assessment
• Mental Capacity Assessment
• Eligibility Assessment
• Best Interests Assessment

These must conclude that deprivation of liberty is:

• Necessary
• Lawful
• In the person's best interests
• With no less restrictive alternatives available