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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Residential Spot Application

Please read the following carefully so you understand what is needed in order to proceed with your application.

 

1. Application Documentation

Click on the below link to download a Residential Spot Application Document for completion. Please ensure you answer all questions.

Download: Residential Spot Application Document

Before you submit your application please use the following checklist to confirm you have completed all relevant documentation.

  • Completed ‘Residential Spot Application Document’
  • Completed ‘Residential Care Provider Contact Details Form’ (Section 8.2.2 of the application form)
  • Completed ‘Information Risk Questionnaire’ (Section 14.1.2 of the application form)
  • Signed Company Letter (Section 15.1 of the application form)
  • Banking details (Section 16.1 of the application form)

Note: we only contract with companies that own the care homes and we do not pay VAT on social care services.

Please email all of the above to IRN.ProjectTeam@essex.gov.uk

 

2. Meeting with Council Officers

The Procurement Team require that they meet with any potential new providers prior to services being delivered. Essex County Council will contact you with suggested dates to meet at your Head Office or Essex service location if different during the application process. 

 

Framework Application

 

1. Proactis eSourcing Registration

In order to provide services to Essex County Council you will need to be a registered provider on our supplier portal; Proactis.  It is free to register and, following registration, potential suppliers can respond to the council's tendering opportunities online. The portal is used by Essex County Council to manage the tendering process electronically; reducing both time and costs. Please note that the Proactis eSourcing Portal is the only route to take part in Essex County Council tenders so it is important that you are registered.

Please sign up HERE 

Essex County Council produces a document detailing all future business opportunities on a weekly basis. In order to take part in a particular opportunity, you will need to email the project team who will then be able to formally invite you to take part via Proactis eSourcing portal.

The Integrated residential and nursing framework (IRN) 2025, is now closed for homes to join the Integrated Residential and Nursing Framework will reopen in March 2026.

Instructions on how to submit your bid are available HERE

You can find the current list of opportunities here

Payments

If your application is successful you will be able to view your remittance via our electronic Abacus Extranet system. This is an internet-based application, which is free to register, and all necessary training will be offered. Details on how to sign up to the service will be provided during your application process.

Last updated: 08/01/2026
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