Relevant Person's Representative Service

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Information for professionals

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Who is the RPR service for?

 

A Relevant Person’s Representative is appointed to represent anyone who is subject to a deprivation of liberty safeguard (DoLS) authorisation in a setting in which they are continually supervised by staff and which they would not be free to leave should they wish to.  For a person to be subject to DoLS, the local authority must have first carried out a number of specific assessments and granted DoLS authorisation.

 

For most people who are subject to DoLS, their RPR will be a family member or friend. We provide RPRs where the referred person otherwise has no one who would be willing and able to undertake that role. The RPR helps the referred person understand and exercise their rights under the DoLS, including exercising a right of appeal should they wish.

 

What areas does the service cover?

 

RPR eligibility is based on commissioning authority rather than the referred person’s current location. We provide RPRs across the region where the local authority appointing us is Newcastle, Gateshead or South Tyneside. Some of those people therefore live in other areas across the North East.
 

Who can refer and how?

 

Only the MCA/DoLS teams in the local authority that has granted the DoLS is able to appoint an RPR.  We are unable to take referrals from any other source.

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MCA/DoLS teams should use their specific local authority form to refer to us.

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For more information or advice about a referral, please contact us.

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