The Association of Mental Health Providers welcomes the Government’s announcement of their intention to launch a consultation to strengthen safeguarding and protections for vulnerable people, including those living with mental ill-health. 

The planned reforms to the Liberty Protection Safeguards (LPS) will be a positive step towards improving how people who may lack mental capacity are supported, and how their rights are protected. This focus on safeguarding comes in response to concerns about the complexity of the current system, the distress caused for families, and the waiting list that has built up under the existing Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards framework. 

For mental health social care providers, these proposals are significant. Ensuring that people living with mental health conditions are protected in environments that promote dignity, autonomy, and choice is central to the sector’s work. The announcement also recognises the vital role that care and support providers play in upholding these principles every day. 

As this consultation materialises, the Association will continue to work with members, and the Government to ensure that reforms lead to meaningful and lasting improvements. This will require: 

• Inclusion of lived experience: The consultation must meaningfully involve people with lived experience of mental ill-health, as well as carers and families, to ensure that reforms are informed by the realities of those affected. 

• Clarity, consistency, and resources: Improving safeguards must be matched by clear guidance, consistent application across regions, and adequate resources. 

• Recognition of mental health-specific needs: Reforms should reflect the distinct needs of people who experience mental ill-health, particularly where mental health and social care services intersect.