The Adult Social Care and Health Scrutiny Committee met to discuss the implications of the AGNI Supreme Court judgment on Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and to review the cabinet's response to a scrutiny review of alcohol services. The committee noted the significant impact of the AGNI judgment, which has led to an increase in DoLS referrals and a revised approach to assessing deprivation of liberty, and reviewed progress on recommendations made following a scrutiny review of alcohol services, noting positive developments in partnership working and data collection.

AGNI Supreme Court Judgment: Impact, Service Response and Recovery Plan for Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards

The committee received a report detailing the impact of the AGNI Supreme Court judgment, which fundamentally altered the legal framework for determining deprivation of liberty. The judgment, handed down on 2 June 2026, replaced the previous acid test with a more multifactorial assessment of a person's concrete situation. This has led to an increase in the number of referrals requiring review, with Stockport Adult Social Care's waiting list for lower-priority cases rising from approximately 300 to 650.

Julia Newton, Principal Social Worker and Head of Safeguarding and DoLS, explained that while the judgment is expected to reduce the overall number of formal deprivation of liberty authorisations in the long term, the immediate transition has created significant additional work. The council paused planned outsourced assessment activity to understand and implement the new legal framework, revise pathways, and develop new guidance for staff and providers. This decision was described as a deliberate and proportionate response to avoid unnecessary expenditure.

A recovery plan has been developed to address the increased waiting list, which includes targeted triage, proportionate assessment pathways for lower-priority referrals, and the planned recruitment of two additional Best Interests Assessors (BIAs). It is anticipated that this will lead to a material reduction in waiting times over a six to twelve-month period.

Councillors raised concerns about the potential for inconsistency in how different local authorities might interpret and apply the AGNI judgment, and the challenges posed by the lack of formal government guidance. Councillor Karl Wardlaw, Vice-Chair of the Adult Social Care & Health Scrutiny Committee, noted that the new approach is much more around an individual circumstance, much more things to take into consideration, moving away from the rigid sort of framework established by the Cheshire West ruling. Councillor Jo Williams highlighted the importance of ensuring staff feel comfortable with the new, more complex assessment process.

Councillor Helen Foster-Grime, Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care, expressed confidence in the team's ability to manage the situation, stating, I personally have a lot of faith in the team and the leads, like Julia herself. She also emphasised the importance of working with partners across the North West, such as the Association of Directors of Adult Social Care (ADAS), to ensure a consistent approach.

Cabinet Response to Scrutiny Review – Alcohol Services

The committee also reviewed the cabinet's response to a scrutiny review of alcohol services, which focused on the effectiveness of treatment and a system-wide approach to reducing alcohol harm in Stockport. Megan O'Donovan, Public Health Registrar, presented the report, highlighting positive progress on several recommendations.

Key achievements include the development of a map of the Stockport alcohol ecosystem, providing a comprehensive overview of services and organisations working to address alcohol-related harm. This map is being used to identify opportunities to strengthen pathways and connections between services. A significant development is the creation of an alcohol licensing data matrix, which will be published on the council website to support licensing decisions.

The Tame Valley Peer Support Pilot was also highlighted as a success, with a showcase document capturing its activities and learnings. This community-led approach, informed by lived experience, has been shared with partners to inform future work.

Councillor Wardlaw, who led the original review, commented on the importance of the alcohol data matrix, stating, the data evidence base to review the licensing applications and the variations. Councillor Keith Holloway, Chair of the Bramhall & Cheadle Hulme South Area Committee, added that the review had expanded understanding of the groups that are available right across Stockport and the importance of public health having a voice in licensing decisions.

The report acknowledged that work is ongoing, particularly regarding funded specialist alcohol care provision at the hospital trust. Councillor Jo Williams raised the issue of Korsakoff's syndrome, a form of dementia related to alcohol use, and whether its omission from the review was deliberate. Megan O'Donovan confirmed that alcohol-related brain damage, including Korsakoff's, was being addressed through the mapping exercise and efforts to improve links between existing services.

Councillor Foster-Grime praised the public health team for their thoroughness, stating, Public Health team at Stockport. Leave no stone unturned. She also noted the challenge of commercial influences on public health, a topic that would be discussed at an upcoming North West conference on public health.

Scrutiny Work Programme

The committee also considered its work programme for future meetings. Councillor Jo Williams noted that the November agenda was big and expressed anticipation for the Winter Readiness Update. Councillor Rachel Bresnahan, Chair of the Adult Social Care & Health Scrutiny Committee, confirmed that efforts had been made to bring the winter readiness discussion forward, but NHS partners were not able to provide the necessary information in time. An amendment was made to the work programme to correct the planned date for the Prevention services across Stockport to avoid the need for emergency treatment item, moving it to January 2027.