Liberty Protection Safeguards: criteria for authorisation

The Liberty Protection Safeguards (LPS) will provide protection for people aged 16 and above who are, or who need to be, deprived of their liberty in order to enable their care or treatment and who lack the mental capacity to consent to their arrangements. People who might have an LPS authorisation include those with dementia, autism and learning disabilities who lack the relevant capacity. Once the LPS process has been triggered, the Responsible Body should determine whether the 3 authorisation conditions are met. These are: the person lacks the relevant capacity to consent to the arrangements; the person has a mental disorder, as defined by the Mental Health Act 1983; the arrangements are necessary and proportionate, that is, the arrangements are necessary to prevent harm to the person and proportionate to the likelihood and seriousness of the risk of harm to the person. To determine whether the authorisation conditions are met, there are three assessments and determinations which must be carried out: the capacity assessment and determination; the medical assessment and determination; the necessary and proportionate assessment and determination.
[Updated 11 June 2021]