During the last year we have come across the term “Deputyship Order” more and more whereby parents have applied for this through the Court of Protection for more legal rights to make decisions for their young person once they have transitioned over to adult services. We wanted to take this moment to share this information with you in the event it may come in use for your child’s future.

Deptuyship is another route to go down legally in terms of getting what you feel is right for your child once they have turned into an adult. As you may already be aware, your child is entitled to free legal aid once they have turned 18. This is a final port of call should you face contension with your Local Authority when applying for adult placements. You must, of course, follow the processes and go to see everything that your Local Authority tell you to. Legal aid can be the last big push you need to get the funding you need, however, if you are still facing issues in terms of getting confirmation of funding etc, it may be worth looking into a Deputyship Order to help your case.

Applying for a Deputyship Order can take time! So it may be worth looking in to even if you are at the start of your journey finding an adult placement for your child. You must apply for a Deputyship Order through the Court of Protection, of which there are 2 different types; Finance and Well-being.

There is a particularly good link on the following solicitor website Simpson Millar Solicitors which tells you more information about Deputyships, how they differ to Power of Attorney and how to go about setting this up.