AGNI deprivation of liberty decision tool

AGNI practice triangle guide

AGNI scenario decision tool

AGNI: Mixed Classification Practice

CORE-MH Social Work Identity Tool

Critical Reflection Hub

Find Milo: AGNI Edition

Mental Health Act 2025 Hub

Milo’s AGNI Legal Link-Up

Milo’s AGNI Legal Link-Up

Milo’s AGNI Legal Link-Up

Milo’s MCA Logic Grid Puzzle

Milo’s What in the Word? AGNI Edition

swe-reflection-record

Theory into Practice Hub

What in the Word! — AGNI Cryptic Edition

What in the Word! — AGNI Word Search

What in the Word! — MCA & DoL Crossword

AGNI Judgment and Deprivation of Liberty Practice Update - Newsletter

A practical special edition helping teams understand the AGNI judgment, review deprivation of liberty practice and strengthen evidence, recording and professional reasoning.

AGNI Judgment: Key Practice Points for Social Workers

Ten practical prompts to help social workers apply the AGNI judgment through person-centred, rights-based and carefully evidenced practice.

Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) National Service Standards

Assume vs Presume Capacity Briefing

A quick, practical briefing on Principle 1 of the Mental Capacity Act and the difference between assuming capacity and passively presuming it.

Best Interest Assessor Capabilities

This document outlines the core capabilities required for Best Interest Assessors working within the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards framework. It details the legal knowledge, decision-making skills, ethical considerations and risk assessment abilities needed to support individuals’ rights while ensuring their safety. The guidance emphasises autonomy, capacity, proportionality and evidence-based practice, making it a key reference for professionals carrying out complex assessments and making legally informed decisions.

BNF v Newport City Council: Key Case Determinations

A quick visual overview of the High Court’s findings on care needs, direct payments and local authority duties in Wales.

Bristol City Council v CC: Court of Protection Key Determinations

A clear visual case summary showing how the Court of Protection approached capacity, best interests and the least restrictive arrangements for CC.

Care Act Briefing

Court of Protection

A follow-up Court of Protection decision addressing SF’s best interests regarding residence, weighing the benefits of remaining in a stable English placement against moving closer to family in Scotland. The court applied the Mental Capacity Act best interests framework, highlighting risks of transition, the importance of stability, and the complexity of balancing family contact with wellbeing.

Court of Protection

A Court of Protection judgment determining SF’s habitual residence, focusing on cross-border jurisdiction between Scotland and England, capacity under the Mental Capacity Act 2005, and the recognition of Scottish Guardianship Orders. The court emphasised that habitual residence is a factual question shaped by stability, integration, and personal circumstances, concluding SF remained habitually resident in Scotland despite long-term placement in England.

Court of Protection

A Court of Protection decision addressing an application for a personal welfare deputy for a young adult with profound disabilities and complex medical needs. The court considered the legal framework for appointing deputies under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and emphasised that such appointments are rare but appropriate in exceptional circumstances. Due to the individual’s lifelong lack of capacity and the complexity and frequency of decisions required, the court appointed the mother as personal welfare deputy, highlighting the importance of continuity, expertise, and advocacy in best interests decision-making.

Court of Protection

This case concerns a vulnerable 17-year-old with complex mental health conditions whose care involved restrictive hospital measures amounting to a deprivation of liberty. The court examined the interaction between the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Mental Health Act 1983, finding that the young person had been unlawfully deprived of liberty and should have been detained under the Mental Health Act rather than the Mental Capacity Act.

Court of Protection

This case examines the legal framework around deprivation of liberty, mental health treatment, and the interaction between the Mental Capacity Act and Mental Health Act for a young person with complex needs. It provides detailed guidance on when detention should occur under mental health law rather than capacity legislation, and the importance of using the correct legal framework to protect individuals while ensuring lawful care and treatment. [court-of-p...-v-js-2023 | PDF]

Court of Protection

A complex Court of Protection case concerning a young adult with learning disabilities and autism, focusing on decisions about residence, care, and family contact under the Mental Capacity Act 2005. The court examined risks arising from family relationships, safeguarding concerns, and the individual’s vulnerability and suggestibility. It concluded that remaining in supported accommodation was in her best interests, balancing autonomy, safety, and emotional wellbeing, and emphasised the impact of family conflict and influence on decision-making and care stability. [court-of-p...cil-p-2025 | PDF]

CT v London Borough of Lambeth: Capacity for Residence and Care

A clear visual case summary showing why capacity assessments must focus on the specific decision, relevant information and the support given to the person.

Deprivation of Liberty: What Changes after Cheshire West?

A 7-minute practitioner briefing on the Supreme Court judgment in UKSC/2025/0042 and its implications for deprivation of liberty practice after Cheshire West. It explains why continuous supervision and control plus not being free to leave is no longer sufficient on its own, and explores valid consent, wishes and feelings, practical recording, safeguards and the need to assess the person’s concrete situation as a whole.

Forensic Social Work: Quality Assurance Toolkit

A comprehensive, evidence-based resource for forensic mental health social work, featuring audit tools, templates, statutory guidance, and best practice materials. Designed for practitioners, managers, and teams in secure and community settings. Supports quality assurance, safeguarding, supervision, and compliance with UK legislation.

Form GS4 Find out if someone has a guardian

A statutory form used to request a search of the Office of the Public Guardian register to determine whether a guardianship order exists, including key details about the order’s status, validity, and associated restrictions. [form-gs4-f...024 - Copy | PDF]

Guide on Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights Right to liberty and security

A comprehensive legal guide summarising the key principles and case law relating to Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights, focusing on the right to liberty and security. It outlines when deprivation of liberty is lawful, the safeguards required to prevent arbitrary detention, and the rights individuals have when detained, making it a valuable reference for professionals needing to ensure decisions align with human rights law.

Guide on Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights Right to respect for private and family life home and correspondence

A detailed legal resource explaining the interpretation and application of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, covering the right to respect for private and family life, home, and correspondence. It brings together key case law and principles to support understanding of how public authorities must balance individual rights with wider societal interests, particularly in areas such as privacy, safeguarding, surveillance, and family relationships.

High Court King’s Bench Division

This High Court case examines claims relating to alleged unlawful detention and treatment under the Mental Health Act 1983, including potential breaches of Articles 3, 5, and 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The judgment focuses on whether proper legal procedures were followed, the lawfulness of detention and medical treatment without consent, and the evidential requirements needed to support such claims, highlighting the seriousness of deprivation of liberty and the need for clear justification by public authorities.

Improving the quality of decision making and risk assessment in children’s social care

Description This rapid evidence review brings together research on how decision-making and risk assessment can be improved in children’s social care. It highlights the complexity of practice, where professionals must make high-stakes decisions under uncertainty, often with limited information and time pressures. The review identifies key dimensions of quality such as accuracy, consistency, outcomes, practice, and equity, and explores how factors like organisational context, practitioner expertise, workload, and systemic influences shape decisions. It emphasises the importance of combining professional judgement with evidence-based approaches and understanding decision-making as part of a wider system rather than isolated actions.

Informal Admission and Consent: Key Factors for Practitioners

A practical visual briefing to help practitioners think through informal admission, consent, restrictions and deprivation of liberty.

Informal Admission, Consent and Article 5 Risk

A practitioner briefing on informal mental health admission, consent and Article 5 risk following the Supreme Court shift in deprivation of liberty law. It explores when informal admission may be lawful, why compliance is not the same as consent, the additional caution required after section 2 detention, and how to choose and record the appropriate safeguarded legal route.

Legal responses to disordered eating

This resource explores how legal frameworks apply to disordered eating within mental health and capacity law, focusing on the interaction between the Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act, and the role of the courts. It highlights key issues such as assessing capacity, determining best interests, and the use of compulsory treatment, including restraint and feeding interventions. The resource emphasises that while law provides a framework for decision-making, practitioners must apply professional judgement and consider ethical, human rights, and clinical factors when responding to complex cases involving disordered eating.

Legal Responses to Restrictions and Deprivation of Liberty

A clear visual guide to deciding when restrictions require MCA practice, further evidence, safeguarding action, legal authorisation or advice.

LM v NHS Sussex ICB: Capacity Across Six Decision-Making Domains

A clear visual case summary showing why capacity must be assessed separately for each decision and based on all relevant circumstances.

London Borough of Hillingdon v Neary

This case concerns Steven Neary, an autistic adult with a learning disability, who was placed in a local authority support unit for short-term respite but was kept there for almost a year against his and his father’s wishes. The Court of Protection found that the local authority unlawfully deprived him of his liberty and breached his right to family life, highlighting serious failures in applying the Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, including inadequate best interests assessments, failure to consider less restrictive options such as returning home, and delay in allowing access to court review.

Looking in the Wrong Direction? Safeguarding After the AGNI Judgment

A thought-provoking visual guide to strengthening safeguarding scrutiny, professional curiosity and rights-based practice following the AGNI judgment.

LV Case: Outcomes and Learning from Life-Sustaining Treatment

A clear visual summary of the LV judgment, with practical learning on s.16 reasoning, realistic therapeutic benefit, alternatives and proportionality.

Mental Capacity for Care Providers: A Practical Guide

A practical visual guide to help care providers understand when capacity should be assessed, how people should be supported, and what good recording looks like.

Mental Health Act, Reference Guide

The Mental Health Act Reference Guide provides a practical overview of the key sections, duties, and decision‑making requirements under the Mental Health Act. It supports practitioners to navigate assessments, applications, and safeguards, helping translate statutory powers into clear, lawful, and defensible practice.

Oxfordshire P-AGNI 7-Minute Briefing

Can a fact-sensitive judgment change how AGNI should be applied? Examine the legal tension and test your own deprivation of liberty analysis.

Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework

National framework supporting mental health services to address racial inequalities through anti-racist practice, organisational competencies and improved patient and carer experiences.

RD and others v Herefordshire Council and others

A case where the court looked at when professionals should apply to court to challenge a deprivation of liberty under DoLS. It involved people with dementia whose wishes about their care were unclear or changed over time. The court decided that you should not wait for a clear objection, but instead consider whether it appears the person would want to challenge their situation based on what they say or how they behave. This approach helps make sure their right to go to court is protected. [rd-and-oth...ction-2016 | PDF]

Regulation 28 Report

Coroner-issued report highlighting concerns following a death, requiring organisations to take action to prevent future deaths and improve systems, practice or service provision.

St George’s NHS Trust v LV: Life-Sustaining Treatment and Capacity

A clear visual case summary showing how the Court of Protection approached capacity, best interests and last-resort treatment for a young woman with severe anorexia.

Supreme Court AGNI Judgment: Deprivation of Liberty in Community Care

A visual overview of the AGNI judgment, its legal test and the implications for capacity assessments, care planning, review and rights-based practice.

Supreme Court Ruling on Cheshire West - Update Briefing

TDB v Haringey: Court of Appeal Briefing

A seven-minute practice briefing on TDB v London Borough of Haringey, exploring the relationship between Care Act assessment, decision-specific mental capacity and the use of specialist expertise. The Court of Appeal has reserved judgment, so the briefing explains the issues under consideration without predicting the outcome.

Template for Critical Incident Analysis

This template supports structured critical reflection on practice by guiding users through a detailed analysis of significant incidents, including context, thoughts, actions, impact and learning. It encourages consideration of professional standards and domains, helping individuals link theory to practice, deepen reflective skills and identify areas for development within social work and related fields.

The 2026 Deprivation of Liberty Judgment: A Practical Guide

A clear visual guide to assessing deprivation of liberty after the 2026 judgment, with practical prompts on restrictions, objection, consent and escalation.

The AGNI Case: Key Details on Deprivation of Liberty

A clear visual summary of the AGNI case, including the legal test, valid consent, safeguards and what the judgment means for practice.

The AGNI Practice Triangle: Deprivation of Liberty Decision-Making

A three-part decision-making guide for exploring what is happening, how it affects the person and which legal or practice pathway may be needed.

The legal and ethical framework for compulsory psychiatric treatment

Article exploring the legal and ethical basis for compulsory psychiatric treatment, focusing on how coercive mental health interventions can be justified through principles such as harm, proportionality, reciprocity and transparency.

The new DoL Test

WU v BU

This judgment addresses whether a vulnerable adult lacking capacity to make contact decisions should be protected from a controlling relationship. The court found coercive influence, imposed a no-contact order, and granted protective measures including restrictions on marriage or civil partnership to prevent exploitation.