Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) Assessment Service

Overview

Introduction

We are conducting an early market engagement exercise to gather feedback from potential providers on cost, assessment volume, mobilisation, future legislation, and preferred payment mechanisms for delivering Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) assessment services.

The intention is to go out to tender in early 2026, with a service start date by mid-2026. Both dates are tentative and should only be seen as indicative timelines subject to change based on planning and approval processes.

This is not a procurement process and does not constitute a commitment to award any contract. The information collected will help inform our future procurement strategy.

This early market engagement activity will close Tuesday, 30th December 2025

Background

The Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) provide a legal framework for the deprivation of liberty for people who lack the mental capacity to make decisions about their accommodation and care arrangements themselves. They apply to people who are in hospital or residential/nursing care (the managing authority) and who are subject to restrictions and restraints in their lives, for example, not being free to leave or requiring continual supervision.

Local Authorities are required to arrange an assessment of an individual’s circumstances to determine whether the accommodation the care provided is in their best interests to protect them from harm, whether it is necessary and proportionate and to determine if there is a less restrictive alternative.

The requirement of this service is for the provision of assessments to establish whether a person in hospital, care home or nursing home requires Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) authorisation.

Assessors will be required to visit the relevant person requiring assessment in their care setting, which may be a hospital ward, care home or nursing home, in order to conduct a face-to-face assessment.

Why your views matter

Your views are important and they will help inform Essex County Council regarding the appropriate approach in shaping the service.

We aim to understand:

• Supplier preferences for different payment models
• Practical considerations, risks, and benefits with each model
• Indicative pricing approaches under each model
• Mobilisation considerations
• Service resource and capacity considerations

This is not a procurement process and does not constitute a commitment to award any contract. The information collected will help inform our future procurement strategy.