Deprivation of Liberty Orders (DoL)

EHP Consultancy 

www.ehpchildrenshomes.co.uk

Portfolio for legislative and regulatory compliance, commercial knowledge, operational

and strategic  governance & management in Children Social Care UK 

Deprivation of Liberty Orders (DoL)

There is a rising number of children and young people being given Deprivation of Liberty Orders (DoL). A local authority can apply to the Family Court to impose a DoL order on a child/young person if they are deemed to be at serious risk - either from themselves or others. A DoL order therefore makes it lawful for a child to be deprived of their liberty to keep them safe.

The Dol generally requires high levels of care and supervision. This means that a child/young person issued a DoL will likely be placed in a children’s home or a care home service.

However, concerns remain over the suitability of accommodation being used to house many children and young people: in 2022-23, an estimated 50% of places were found in unregulated accommodation (Nuffield Family Justice Conservatory). Such accommodation did not have the required safeguarding infrastructure and operational practice in place. The average DoL placement was 55 miles from the children/young persons’ homes. The government recently set up a panel of experts to investigate the rise in DoL orders. At EHP, we believe that implementing DoL orders must be improved, and we look forward to the panel’s findings. 

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