The Supreme Court's judgment on deprivation of liberty

You may be aware that the Supreme Court has recently issued a judgment which significantly changes the legal approach to determining whether a person is deprived of their liberty. The judgement can be seen here A Reference by the Attorney General for Northern Ireland of a devolution issue under paragraph 34 o….

We would encourage you to familiarise yourselves with the judgment and carefully consider the implications for your services and practice. Please see the following links for further information: CQC statement on the Supreme Court's judgment on deprivation of liberty - Care Quality Commission and 2026-UKSC-16-Summary-for-website.pdf.

We ask that you refer to this updated position when making any new referrals to the DoLS team.  In addition, as the change came into effect immediately from 2 June, please review any recent DoLS referrals you have made. You should consider whether, in light of this revised approach, any of these referrals may no longer be appropriate.

We hope this offers reassurance whilst we wait for additional National guidance to be disseminated.  At this stage we don’t have further information, but if you have a specific query, you can contact the MCA DoLS Duty Team at Dolforms@essex.gov.uk

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Inclusive Communication Essex (ICE)

ICE offers free, accessible services across Essex. Its aim is to break down the barriers to effective communication for individuals with learning disabilities, autism and other communication challenges.

How it can help

The service provides consultancy, advice, support, and training on accessibility and inclusive communication.

The ICE resource service loans Assistive and Augmentative Communication (AAC) aids, including:

  • buttons and switches
  • talking albums
  • communication devices including the GoTalk and Ablenet range
  • sensory story packs
  • switch-activated toys

ICE can also provide guidance and support on how to produce information in an EasyRead format.

The website provides a variety of communication resources, including:

Age

Open to all ages

Eligibility

Open to all

How to access

Contact by website, email or phone.

Contact to book an in-person appointment at the Therapy Centre.

Last updated: 19/08/2025