Relevant Person’s Representative (RPR)

20th July 2023 / Posted by Family Welfare

The Relevant Person’s Representative, or RPR for short, is possibly one of the lesser known services provided by the Family Welfare team. People living in the Wigan Borough know us for our Counselling and Advocacy services. What you may not know is the RPR role may also form part of an advocate’s role. 

In this post, we’ll touch on what you need to know about RPR, its role within DoLS (or the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards), and some of the scenarios that might require an RPR to be appointed.

As always, if you’d like to learn more about the role and how we can support your loved ones, please get in touch with us on 01942 867888 or email admin@wiganfamilywelfare.co.uk.   

RPR and its links to DoLS

In our blog about the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, we explained how UK law safeguards people who do not have the mental capacity to make key decisions about their health, care and where they live. 

DoLS comes into effect when people are deemed to lack capacity about their care and accommodation needs, and their place of residence is deemed to be under constant supervision and control.  

An example would be an individual with advanced dementia who is living in a care home. The entry and exit points of the home are controlled by keypad and the code is known only to staff.  

Once DoLS has been authorised, an RPR must be appointed to represent the best interests of the individual.

When there is no friend or family member available to represent the person’s interests, or if they are deemed inappropriate to do so, an Independent Mental Capacity Advocate is likely to be appointed as paid RPR by the local authority. 

What does an RPR do?  

A Relevant Person’s Representative’s role is to:

• Stay in regular contact with the person who has been deprived of their liberty
• Maintain contact with care home management, nurses and staff
• Review care plans and daily notes in order to ensure any restrictive practices are carried out in the individual’s best interests and recorded as such
• Ensure that the care home adheres to any conditions set by the local authority. For example, if a condition stipulates that the care home should look to provide activities both within and outside of the home, this is being done and recorded accurately.
• To uphold the rights of the individual they are supporting. For example, if they are consistently objecting to the placement, to ensure their right to appeal their DoLS. This may involve the RPR instructing a solicitor with the view to making an application to the Court of Protection.

What’s the difference between an IMCA and an RPR?

The Independent Mental Capacity Advocate’s role is decision specific, i.e. related to an accommodation or serious medical treatment decision. 

An RPR maintains in regular contact with the individual to support them and uphold their best interests in every aspect of their care, treatment and residency. 

How to appoint a Relevant Person’s Representative

The appointment of an RPR is the responsibility of the local authority, and undertaken by a best interests assessor (who is also a qualified social worker) during their DoLS assessment.

If the local authority feels it appropriate, they will make a direct referral to Family Welfare’s Advocacy team via e-mail or our website.