Service for hospitals and care homes looking after vulnerable adults moves online

5 February 2026

Applications relating to some of Powys' most vulnerable adults, and the way they are cared for, have moved online.

Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) forms must now be submitted directly through the county council's website.

The change is expected to halve the time it takes to review and process applications made by hospitals and care homes looking after Powys adults, who lack the mental capacity to make decisions for themselves.

These are often people with dementia, a learning disability, or someone experiencing an episode of mental health crisis, while the decisions being checked are about where they are living and any restrictions being used to keep them safe. This could include stopping them from leaving the place where they are staying.

When restrictions like this are in place, the law states that whoever is looking after them - usually a hospital or a care home - should let the county council or health board know, so that their decisions can be checked.

Councillor Peter Roberts, Powys County Council's Cabinet Member for a Caring Powys said: "Taking away someone's freedom is a very serious step. It must only happen if it is necessary to protect the person, and there is no safer or less restrictive way to care for them.

"Our change to online applications will allow our social care staff to focus on timely and high-quality assessments, instead of making sure all the necessary information has been submitted via email. This saving in time will be a major benefit to the service team as the number of applications is steadily increasing. It will also deliver a small budget saving of about £8,000 a year."

The council has already received nearly 800 DoLs applications during the current financial year (2025-26) that must all be processed and checked. The online forms, and more information, can be found on the council's website: Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards

Applicants completing a form online will receive an automatic confirmation email and be able to download a copy of it for their records.

To contact the council's DoLS team email: dols.admin@powys.gov.uk or call: 01597 826843