On 1st June 2015 the Court of Protection published a new list of panel deputies. We are delighted to announce that our very own Lin Whitehead was appointed to the panel, covering Norfolk and Suffolk.
The list of panel deputies is a group of highly specialised, recommended professional deputies which the Office of the Public Guardian and the Court of Protection will refer to in complex cases or where there is nobody close to the client or willing to act. This will include clients who have suffered acquired brain injury, those with learning disabilities and those with dementia, in addition to cases of family conflict or disagreement where there may have been financial misconduct. Click here to view the Panel Deputy List
A deputy is needed when someone lacks mental capacity, i.e. they can't make a decision for themselves at the time it needs to be made and they have not executed a Lasting or Enduring Power of Attorney. People may lack mental capacity because, for example:
- they've had a serious brain injury or illness
- they have dementia
- they have severe learning disabilities
A deputy is a person appointed by the Court of Protection to make decisions on that person's behalf, and who will always act in that persons best interests.
There are 2 types of deputy:
- property and financial affairs deputy – this will include, for example, paying someone's bills, organising pension payments etc.
- personal welfare deputy – this will include, for example, making decisions about medical treatment and how someone is looked after
Deputies are supervised by the Office of the Public Guardian and professional deputies are subject to a strict set of standards offering the best possible service to the client.
Lin acts as a professional deputy for numerous clients in Norfolk, Suffolk and elsewhere in the UK and can be contacted directly by emailing lin@clapham-collinge.co.uk
