Office of the Public Guardian – resources to help you

Working with OPG 

To support and protect people who may lack mental capacity, partners in the health and social care sector should work closely with OPG. To support this, here are some steps that practitioners can take: 

1. When working with someone who may lack mental capacity, it’s important to check if they have a power of attorney or a deputyship. If they do, please consult their attorney or deputy where appropriate. You can find out if someone has an attorney or deputy by searching OPG’s register of Lasting Powers of Attorney (LPAs), Enduring Powers of Attorney (EPAs), and deputy court orders by filling in an OPG100 form. 

2. When presented with an LPA, EPA or deputy court order, check it’s legally valid. How to know whether a power of attorney or deputyship is valid. 

3. If you have a concern about how an attorney or deputy is acting on behalf of the donor, you can raise the concern with OPG: Report a concern about an attorney, deputy or guardian. 

4. Or you may be able to view the LPA online:  View a lasting power of attorney.