Purpose – This paper seeks to consider the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and, in particular, the extent to which the functions of supervisory bodies can, or should be, performed as part of wider “safeguarding” responsibilities. Design/methodology/approach – The paper reports...

Vulnerable adults have recently gained greater protection. A lot of attention has focused on the effect of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006, but many significant provisions can be found elsewhere. It may be that those provisions, and the...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explain a decision of the Court of Appeal about the duty an Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) will sometimes have to consult a patient's nearest relative, and to set that decision in the context of an earlier one. Design/methodology/approach...

Purpose – This paper aims to consider the recent consultation on a new safeguarding power of entry and seeks to provide a critique of the government's conclusions in that regard. Design/methodology/approach – The paper analyses the report of the consultation exercise and sets it against...