Finders International is to hold a further deputyship development day this autumn.

The deputyship development days are designed for those in the public sector, but those working in private practice, such as solicitors who regularly carry out deputyship orders are also welcome. They provide free information, discussion and advice for council employees while also giving valuable insights into connected services.

Deputyship orders are made by the Court of Protection where a deputy is appointed to make decisions about a person’s welfare or property and financial affairs if that person loses the mental capability to make those decisions.

Difference from power of attorney

A lasting power of attorney is different because such people are appointed when someone still has the capacity to appoint a person on their behalf in safeguard against the necessity in the future.

Councils usually make the decision to apply for deputyship orders, and they are a last-case scenario when a person is the local authority care where no-one else is willing or able, and it’s in the person’s best interests. The process can be time-consuming and expensive. They can also take three to four months to work their way through the court system.

The second National Deputyship Conference will take place on 26 September in London. It will be held at Mary Ward House, off Tavistock Square, and will feature master and senior judge of the Court of Protection, Denzil Lush, who will be the keynote speaker.

Free events

The event is free, and refreshments will be provided. It runs from 10am (registration from 9am) to 4pm. Details of other speakers will be published on Finders International’s new website for public deputies—www.publicdeputies.org

David Lockwood, himself a former local authority deputy, and now Finders International’s public sector development manager, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Denzil to our event. Denzil is well-known and admired by all those who had the pleasure of meeting him.”

Feedback from previous deputyship development days has been extremely positive, with most people relishing the opportunity to meet with others involved in the same work. One public sector employee told Finders International that deputyship development days allowed them to obtain verification about processes other local authorities used and find out about how to improve the way they worked.

Paul Cruickshanks, the Court of Protection Costs Manager and a speaker at one of the Finders events, said: “The feedback I’ve had since doing the talk is that it’s given everybody something to think about, and to approach the court to see if they can make claims.”

Register for our 26 September event here.

www.findersinternational.co.uk