Consultation on Liberty Protection Safeguards coming in 2026
The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) has announced that they will launch a consultation on Liberty Protection Safeguards (LPS) in the first half of 2026.
Currently, the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DOLS) system is in place, but is considered by the DHSC to be, “Bureaucratic and complex”, which is leading to, “Poor understanding and application of the law by professionals, unacceptable distress for families and a backlog of 123,790 individuals, putting pressure on the social care system.”
The proposed Liberty Protection Safeguards system aims to deliver:
“Improved protection and an easier and improved system to allow carers, psychologists, social workers and families to provide care to vulnerable people in circumstances that amount to a deprivation of liberty.”
The consultation will seek the views of families, carers and practitioners including social workers, nurses, psychologists and occupational therapists. It will be jointly run by the Department of Health and Social Care and the Ministry of Justice.
Stephen Kinnock MP, Minister of State for Care, says:
“There is currently a shameful backlog of unprocessed cases under the current system, which means that people’s rights are not being protected. At the same time, we know that many people in the system and their families find these intrusive assessments distressing.
This is about ensuring we are fully focused on the most vulnerable people in our society and their families – understanding their needs, ending the maze of referrals and paperwork, and delivering the best protections and safeguards possible.”
You can find out more here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/improved-safeguarding-and-protections-for-vulnerable-people