Advanced Mental Capacity Practioner AMCP

The Advanced Mental Capacity Professional is a new role which has or will be implemented by the Mental Capacity (Amendment) Act 2019 to oversee the processes involved in the new Liberty Protection Safeguards (LPS) which will replace the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) when this is phased in.  An AMCP will have expertise with mental capacity and will likely be a social worker as proposed by the government.

The new role of the AMCP will be to oversee authorisation of LPS or if it is required.  The role will require the individual who is an AMCP to liaise with other professionals to determine if an individual meets the requirements and criteria of having their liberties deprived, this will be known as a pre-authorisation review.


An AMCP will liaise with the other professionals only if the individual lacks capacity is aged 16 years or over and is under constant supervision. 

The AMCP must be independent of the individuals care, must liaise with the individual and other professionals to determine if it is likely that the individual could have their art.5 rights breached.  This will generate a report to state whether or not the AMCP believed that the rights are being interfered with.