ADASS TASK FORCE A Screening tool to prioritise the allocation of requests to authorise a deprivation of liberty Due to the vast increase in demand for assessments under the Deprivation of liberty safeguards the ADASS task force members have shared practice in relation to prioritisation and produced this screening tool. The aim of the tool is to assist Councils to respond in a timely manner to those requests which have the highest priority. The tool sets out the criteria most commonly applied which indicates that an urgent response may be needed so as to safeguard the individuals concerned. The use of this tool must be balanced against the legal criteria for the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards which remains unchanged. The criteria should be used as an indicative guide only as it will generally be based on information provided by the Managing Authority in the application and each case must be judged on its own facts. HIGHER MEDIUM LOWER Psychiatric or Acute Hospital Asking to leave but not Minimal evidence of control consistently and supervision and not free to leave Not making any active No specific restraints or Continuous 1:1 care during the attempts to leave restrictions being used. E.g. in day and / or night a care home not objecting, no Appears to be unsettled Sedation/medication used additional restrictions in some of the time frequently to control behaviour place. Restraint or medication Physical restraint used regularly Have been living in the care used infrequently. home for some time ( at least equipment or persons Appears to meet some but – a year ) not all aspects of the acid Restrictions on family/friend Settled placement in care test contact (or other Article 8 home/hospital placement, no issue) evidence of objection etc. but Objections from relevant person may meet the requirements of (verbal or physical) the acid test. End of life situations, Objections from family /friends intensive care situations Attempts to leave which may meet the acid test Confinement to a particular part but there will be no benefit to of the establishment for the person from the considerable period of time Safeguards New or unstable placement Possible challenge to Court of Protection, or Complaint Already subject to DoL about to expire DATE: PRIORITISED BY : CASE NO: SUMMARY OF CRITERIA ALLOCATED PRIORITY:
ADASS TASK FORCE A Screening tool to prioritise the allocation of requests to authorise a deprivation of liberty Due to the vast increase in demand for assessments under the Deprivation of liberty safeguards the ADASS task force members have shared practice in relation to prioritisation and produced this screening tool. The aim of the tool is to assist Councils to respond in a timely manner to those requests which have the highest priority. The tool sets out the criteria most commonly applied which indicates that an urgent response may be needed so as to safeguard the individuals concerned. The use of this tool must be balanced against the legal criteria for the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards which remains unchanged. The criteria should be used as an indicative guide only as it will generally be based on information provided by the Managing Authority in the application and each case must be judged on its own facts. HIGHER MEDIUM LOWER Psychiatric or Acute Hospital and not free to leave Continuous 1:1 care during the day and / or night Sedation/medication used frequently to control behaviour Physical restraint used regularly – equipment or persons Restrictions on family/friend contact (or other Article 8 issue) Objections from relevant person (verbal or physical) Objections from family /friends Attempts to leave Confinement to a particular part of the establishment for considerable period of time New or unstable placement Possible challenge to Court of Protection, or Complaint Already subject to DoL about to expire Asking to leave but not consistently Not making any active attempts to leave Appears to be unsettled some of the time Restraint or medication used infrequently. Appears to meet some but not all aspects of the acid test Minimal evidence of control and supervision No specific restraints or restrictions being used. E.g. in a care home not objecting, no additional restrictions in place. Have been living in the care home for some time ( at least a year ) Settled placement in care home/hospital placement, no evidence of objection etc. but may meet the requirements of the acid test. End of life situations, intensive care situations which may meet the acid test but there will be no benefit to the person from the Safeguards CASE NO: DATE: PRIORITISED BY : SUMMARY OF CRITERIA ALLOCATED PRIORITY:
adass-priority-tool.docx