Guidance

Deputy guidance: how to carry out your duties

Advice to help court-appointed deputies look after adults at risk.

• From: Office of the Public Guardian
• Published: 15 February 2012
• Last updated: 21 March 2023 — See all updates

Applies to England and Wales

• Publication for Northern Ireland
• Publication for Scotland

Documents

SD3 How to be a property and affairs deputy (web version)

HTML

SD4 How to be a health and welfare deputy (web version)

HTML

SD3 How to be a property and affairs deputy

PDF, 240 KB, 36 pages

SD3 How to be a property and financial affairs deputy: large print

PDF, 514 KB, 99 pages

SD4 How to be a health and welfare deputy

PDF, 260 KB, 38 pages

Manage a bank account for someone else

PDF, 172 KB, 9 pages

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Details

These leaflets are for anyone who has been appointed as a deputy by the Court of Protection. They include guidance on:

• getting started as a deputy
• how to make decisions
• keeping records
• reporting to the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG)
• how OPG supervises deputies
• investigations and protecting vulnerable adults
• Court of Protection visitors
• dealing with banks and other financial institutions

Published 15 February 2012
Last updated 21 March 2023 + show all updates

1. 21 March 2023

   Updated fees in SD3 PDFs.

2. 10 March 2023

   the online booklet "SD3 How to be a property and affairs deputy" states that the fee to apply to the Court to sell property is £365 however COP44 states that an application fee is £371 so being unsure, I contacted the OPG and they stated the cost for this application is £365 as detailed in the 'SD3' booklet. This I now know is incorrect as the Court have returned my cheque.

3. 10 December 2020

   Added large print version of english language SD3 'How to be a property and affairs deputy'

4. 16 June 2020

   Court of Protection Fees changed from £400 to £365.

5. 14 August 2017

   Amended and added guidance in Welsh.

6. 18 November 2016

   Added translation

7. 26 October 2016

   Added translation

8. 29 February 2016

   The guidance booklet FS03 information for personal welfare deputies has been replaced by the booklet SD4 How to be a deputy: health and welfare decisions.

9. 19 February 2016

   Removed SD4 for revision.

10. 17 February 2016

    Added SD4: How to be a health and welfare deputy

11. 2 February 2016

    Guidance for people wanting to manage a bank account for someone else has been added to this page.

12. 23 November 2015

    Added Welsh translation.

13. 7 September 2015

    New and updated guidance for deputies has been added to these pages.

14. 15 February 2012

    First published.