Change of https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/deputy-guidance-how-to-carry-out-your-duties

Change description : 2025-07-09 11:54:00: Contact centre number and International telephone numbers updated and Relay info added.Crown logo and version number updated [Guidance and regulation]

Showing diff : 2023-03-21 12:32:10.510094787 +00:00..2025-08-07 16:25:58.498643398 +00:00

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
219 MarchJuly 20232025 — See all updates

Applies to England and Wales

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-deputy-property-and-financial-decisions

SD3 How to be a property and affairs deputy

PDF, 382216 KB, 3632 pages

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

PDF, 556663 KB, 99 pages

sd4-how-to-be-a-deputy-personal-welfare-decisions

SD4 How to be a health and welfare deputy

PDF, 416472 KB, 4038 pages

Guidance

Manage for people wanting to manage a bank account for someone else

PDF, 238409 KB, 129 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email customerservices@publicguardian.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

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

Updates to this page

Published 15 February 2012
Last updated 219 MarchJuly 2023 + show2025 href="#full-history">+ show all updates

Sign up for emails or print this page

Update history

2026-07-06 14:45
The guidance on How to be a deputy (SD3 and SD4) has been updated to reflect current OPG policy

2025-07-09 11:54
Contact centre number and International telephone numbers updated and Relay info added.Crown logo and version number updated

2023-03-21 12:32
Updated fees in SD3 PDFs.

2023-03-10 12:33
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.