Plans and processes are now under way nationally to produce a code of practice and regulations to support LPS by spring 2020 ahead of LPS implementation in October 2020.  Deprivation of liberty safeguards (DoLS) authorisations cannot be given from that date, but existing authorisations will, where appropriate, continue to their expiry date.  Hence there will be no initial bulge, and the period of time running two somewhat different systems will be a short as possible.  By October 2021 no DoLS authorisations will exist, and only LPS will be in use.

Training and implementation resources are being worked on by DHSC and groups of stakeholders.  These will start being made available probably in early autumn, followed by a public consultation on the code of practice, with the aim of having materials, both those that are generally useful and those targeted at specific groups of stakeholders, available in spring 2020.

The latest briefing from our LPS expert, Rachel Griffiths, can be found here: July 2019 LPS-Update.