Professional Deputies manage the property and financial affairs of adults who are deemed mentally incapable of doing this themselves, and have no family or friends that could assist them with this vital day-to-day task. These adults are some of the most vulnerable members of society, and safeguarding their assets is at the heart of what we do.
We do this in two ways:
Appointeeship: offered to a person who just receives state benefits, but lacks the mental capacity to manage their own finances. Appointees are appointed by the Department of Work & Pensions (DWP), and are provided with the authority to manage the state benefits of the client. This is the extent of an Appointees control.
Deputyship: works in the same way as appointeeship but offers the protection of the client’s assets, savings or property. Deputies are appointed by the Court of Protection (CoP). The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) is entrusted with supervising the work of deputies appointed by the CoP. Deputies are provided with sealed legal documents allowing them to act for an individual in all aspects of their financial affairs.
Our main ethos is to ‘act in the client’s best interests’, which also happens to be one of the five main principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005, which is one of the main Acts we are expected to comply with. The work that we do is regulated by the OPG, CoP & the DWP. Just as important as ‘protecting’ our client’s finances/assets is the fact that we also try to ‘empower’ them in their day-to-day life. By making the most appropriate decisions when it comes to their finances/assets we are able to do this.
We work closely with local authorities, charities, not-for-profit organisations, social enterprises, law practices, care providers, Primary Care Trusts, the NHS, advocates & the general public. Our clients come from a range of care groups including: Elderly, Learning Disabilities, Mental Health, Alcohol & Substance Misuse, and Physical & Sensory Disabilities.
With over ten years of experience in the field, we are able to provide an all round money management system for people that are unable to manage their own finances due to mental incapacity. In what can be a very difficult and complicated area of work for all involved, we believe our systems are at the forefront of our success. This is achieved by the software we use, our specific expertise, a cost effective approach, security at the core of our ideals, practicality and lastly our caring approach. By working with the wider care team that supports the individual, we are able to concentrate fully on our main responsibility – administering our client’s funds & assets.
