Panel Deputy Diversification Project

1. Office of the Public Guardian Panel Deputy Diversification Project Andrew Cartwright Project Support 20 February 2014

2. Presentation objectives: A brief history of the panel An overview of the project Diversification of the panel Access to the panel Standard setting Project actions

3. A brief history of the panel(From PTO to OPG) 2001 – Panel of receivers of last resort established 2007 – Converted to panel of deputies of last resort 2011 – New panel of deputies established

4. 2001 panel of receivers • 300 panel members • 1300 last resort referrals • No mechanism to prevent the rejection of cases

5. 2007 panel of deputies • Membership reduced to 170 deputies • Appointed under similar terms as the 2001 panel

6. 2011 panel of deputies • Membership reduced to 65 deputies • A new service level agreement introduced • The OPG created the panel deputy support team

7. Why are we reviewing the panel? The three key pillars of the project are: Diversification Access to the panel Standard setting

8. Diversification • The Lord Chancellor’s initial recommendations for the panel placed an emphasis on the need to include a variety of organisations from the private and the third sectors • Initial analysis of referrals to the current panel shows that there may be scope for the inclusion of a greater range of deputyship service providers • The OPG would also like to facilitate the development of a wider range of options for people who require a deputy, providing the court with a greater choice when deciding who to appoint

9. Diversification: Skills and Expertise The most requested client expertise areas are 2 – Mental Illness and 3 – Age Related Illnesses

10. Diversification: Skills and Expertise The skill most often requested is skill 8 – State Benefits

11. Access to the panel • The panel must provide coverage for England and Wales • The panel must be managed in such a way to allow the court to select the most appropriate deputy in each case • The OPG hopes to improve engagement with the panel

12. Access to the panel • 25% of all referrals are in geo area 11 – London • 6 geo areas account for almost 60% of all referrals

13. Standard Setting “If deputies are being paid for their services, they are expected to demonstrate a higher degree of care or skill when carrying out their duties.” Mental Capacity Act 2005 – Code of Practice, Chapter 8.57

14. Project Actions To date – • Held an internal project launch • Renewed the current panel’s service level agreement until 31 March 2015 • Prepared communications for parties interested in joining the panel • Assisted with the supervision review project on annual plans and assurance visits • Research, research, research!

15. Project Actions Future Actions – ENGAGEMENT!

16. Thank you Office of the Public Guardian PO Box 16185 Birmingham B2 2WH     Contact centre 0300 456 0300 Websites gov.uk/power-of-attorney gov.uk/apply-to-the-court-of-protection Generalemail customerservices@publicguardian.gsi.gov.uk Panel Deputy Diversification Project OPGPanelDeputyProject@publicguardian.gsi.gov.uk