Paid Relevant Person's Representatives (RPR) and DoLS IMCAs

The right to a Paid RPR (or family/friend RPR) or DoLS IMCA is only available under the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. As the impact of the AGNI ruling is starting to be felt, many paid RPR visits have stopped. This is because the person's DoLS authorisation has been reviewed and they are no longer considered deprived of their liberty (applying the AGNI ruling). For others, it is because the DoLS has lapsed and no new DoLS application will be required (applying the AGNI ruling). 

We know that some paid RPRs and DoLS IMCAs have worked with the same person continuously, for many years. Some may be in the middle of supporting people with particular issues. 

We hope that paid RPRs and advocacy services will have some written information (including in Easy Read where appropriate) to be able to explain why they will no longer be able to visit and perhaps even have a final visit in person, to say goodbye to the person they were previously supporting. Supervisory Bodies may want to liaise with their RPR and advocacy providers to establish local plans on communicating with people that have lost or will lose their paid RPR or DoLS IMCA imminently.  

Thank-you to Rebecca C for allowing us to share this excellent summary of the impact on losing RPRs, written the day after the Supreme Court judgment: