Paid Relevant Person’s Representatives provide representation and support to people in a hospital or care home who lack mental capacity to agree to the care being provided to them that involves restrictions on their liberty and so has been authorised under the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.
About the Paid Relevant Person’s Representative Role
What is a 'Paid Relevant Person's Representative'? The role of the relevant person’s representative, once appointed, is: For people who do no have someone who can act as their RPR, the supervisory body must appoint a paid RPR. This may be for someone who has no immediate family or friends who can take on the RPR role or where the supervisory body has a reasonable belief that a family member or friend would not be able to fulfill the RPR role. For example, if a family member has been involved in the relevant person being accommodated in a care home and believes the relevant person should remain there, it may be reasonably considered by the supervisory body that the family member may not support a wish of the relevant person’s to challenge the decision about being in the care home. In this case, if no one else is available, the supervisory body has the responsibility to appoint a Paid RPR who can then act for the relevant person independently. Often this can take pressure off family members or friends who may feel conflicted about wanting to support the wishes of the relevant person whilst believing in all good faith that being in the hospital or care home is in their best interests. Members of family or friends may also live too far from the hospital or care home to maintain meaningful contact or may feel that taking on the RPR role is too great a commitment on top of their existing commitments. How is a Paid RPR appointed? The supervisory body will then contact a paid RPR service and make arrangements for the appointment of a paid RPR. If you are a Local Authority seeking to appoint a Paid RPR for a relevant person you can contact us via the ‘Contact’ link above or by clicking ‘Make a Referral’. What does a Paid RPR do? The Paid RPR will meet the relevant person in private wherever possible and seek to support them to understand: If the person expresses that they wish to exercise their right to request a review of the authorisation or apply to the Court of Protection, the RPR will support them to exercise this right. If the person lacks mental capacity to communicate this wish (including being unable to communicate their decision), the Paid RPR will determine whether the relevant person objects to the deprivation of liberty and act accordingly, including by exercising the person’s right to a review of application to the Court of Protection. Wherever possible, the Paid RPR will build the professional relationship with the relevant person and work to improve their understanding of the relevant person’s wishes, feelings, beliefs, values and other factors that would be likely to influence the person in making decisions in relation to their care. This ensures that the Paid RPR develops their expertise in representing the relevant person’s views and wishes over time, allowing them to have an increased beneficial outcome on the care that the relevant person receives. In addition, the Paid RPR will have general oversight in regard to monitoring the welfare of the relevant person and act on any concerns they may have, including by reporting concerns to the supervisory body or raising a safeguarding concern if the relevant person or anyone else the RPR comes into contact with in the managing authority appears to be subject to abuse or neglect. 1. Typically, how long will a Paid RPR be involved? 2. What happens when someone who has been acting as an RPR is no longer able to continue to act as RPR and a Paid RPR service cannot be identified? Further Reading: Schedule A1 of the Mental Capacity Act 2005; Mental Capacity Act 2005: Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards Code of Practice;
Paid RPR FAQs
IF YOU THINK THAT SOMEONE YOU KNOW might need HELP FROM A Paid RPR, CONTACT US VIA THE ‘CONTACT’ LINK ABOVE OR CLICK ‘MAKE A REFERRAL’.