Acting Up Mental Capacity Act Clinical Leadnhs Afc: Band 7Restrictions Apply

Bradford District Care Nhs Foundation Trust; Aberford; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a lead practitioner to drive the implementation of the Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) across services. You will provide expert professional practice support and supervise staff, ensuring compliance and high-quality care.

As a clinical lead, you will develop policies, train staff, and work with partners to ensure person-centred practice and robust supervisory processes, whilst maintaining compliance with DoLS

Qualifications

• Substantial experience with the MCA and DoLS in a health/social care setting.
• Experience in policy development and staff training.
• Ability to supervise professionals across multiple disciplines.

Responsibilities

• Be the clinical lead for MCA and DoLS implementation across services.
• Lead review and development of MCA/DoLS policies to ensure compliance.
• Support practitioners and teams in managing complex DoLS cases.
• Develop administrative procedures to document DoLS applications and outcomes.
• Collaborate with managers, partners and safeguarding to promote best practice.

Skills

Mental Capacity Act

DoLS

Policy development

Leadership

Communication

Tools

IT literacy

Job description

Job overview

To ensure the principles and requirements of the Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards are understood and effectively implemented across the breadth of services in BDCFT.

To provide expert professional practice support and advice to staff across all service areas, on the operation and practice of the Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.

To act as the lead practitioner for the implementation of the processes and statutory systems in relation to the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards

To provide MCA-related supervision to professionally qualified registered Social Workers, Occupational Therapists, Nurses and Medical Staff, where required

To provide professional expertise, knowledge, skills and advice to enable a safe, effective and high quality service that meets existing and new policies, practices and procedures.

Ensuring that the principles of the Mental Capacity Act underpin practice.

Closing date: 3rd November 2026

Shortlisting: 4th November 2026

Interviews: 6th November 2026

Main duties of the job

Be the clinical lead within BDCFT in relation to Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DOLS)

Lead the review and development of policies and procedures in relation to the Mental Capacity Act and DOLS to ensure compliance with the legislation

To support individual practitioners, operational teams and service managers in the management of local Service User cases which are particularly contentious or involve high risk applying professional and legal expertise in exploring the possibility of alternative less restrictive management arrangements.

In partnership with the MHA Advisor, develop and implement effective administrative procedures to satisfy the Supervisory Body that BDCFT holds accurate and up to date knowledge of DoLS applications made and outcomes of those applications.

Work with senior managers, with other Health and Social Care partners and with other relevant stakeholders to ensure that the core principles of the Mental Capacity Act are well understood and inform person centred practice..

Work closely with the Safeguarding Team in BDCFT and Adult Social Care establish and implement systems and standards to support best practice and the delivery of high quality services in residential and nursing homes..

In conjunction with the MHL Lead, oversee training delivered by the MCA Trainer/Advisor to ensure shared messages, lessons learned and positive practice is widely understood and recognised.

Represent BDCFT at the Mental Capacity Act/DOLS/LPS Steering Group and Network meetings

Work closely with the providers of Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy services. Ensure that all staff understand and comply with requirements for the referral of cases to the IMCA service

Work closely with high risk areas such as: Older Peoples Mental Health and Learning Disabilities to ensure care pathways deliver capacity and consent requirements

Work with Trust Quality and Governance staff to ensure completion of any self-assessments in relation to CQC Outcome 2; Consent to Care & Treatment (underpinned by evidence to meet those standards);

Offer enhanced MCA and DOLS training to case workers, to challenge thinking and to continue to push high standards even higher

Working for our organisation

Everything we do is underpinned by our core values: -

We Care

We act with respect and empathy, and always value difference

We Listen

We understand people’s views and respond to their individual needs

We Deliver

We develop and provide excellent services and support our partners

We will consider a variety of flexible working arrangements to enable staff to balance their work and home lives and support staff by offering a fantastic range of benefits including :

• Increase mileage rates for > 4500
• A wide range of health and wellbeing support packages
• A range of internal and external development and learning opportunities
• Plus many more.

We are also proud to pledge our support to the Armed Forces and hold a Bronze Award in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme.

BDCFT is dedicated to environmental and social sustainability by delivering on the commitments within our Green Plan. All staff are actively encouraged and supported to participate in training and to identify and implement sustainable quality improvement across all service areas and activities.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please read the attached Job description and person specification for more details about this role.

Right to Work in the UK

Applicants should be aware that for any individual who requires a visa to work in the UK, the Trust provides sponsorship for registered healthcare practitioner roles only. This is an essential requirement of the role, and the Trust is unable to offer you a role if you are unable to meet Trust requirements for sponsorship and Home Office requirements for a visa.

Prior to your appointment you will be asked to provide confirmation of your right to work and reside in the UK. During your continued employment with the Trust, you have a personal responsibility to notify your manager as soon as possible should there be any changes to your right to work status.

Regrettably, if the role is not eligible for sponsorship under the Trust’s eligibility criteria, the Trust are unable to extend your employment beyond the expiration of your current visa. The Trust is not responsible or liable for ensuring that your employment continues after this period.

As a condition of continuous employment, it essential you maintain the legal right to work in the United Kingdom throughout the duration of your employment with Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust (BDCFT). Any change in your right-to-work status, including but not limited to visa expiration, revocation, or denial of renewal, may impact your eligibility for employment with the Trust. It is your responsibility to promptly inform your Line Manager of any changes in your right-to-work status immediately and to provide necessary documentation for verification purposes. Failure to obtain or renew your visa in a timely manner is a breach of employment conditions and will result in termination of your employment. We appreciate your attention to this matter and your commitment to fulfilling this requirement promptly.

Person specification

Experience

Essential criteria

• Substantial Considerable experience of expert professional practice support and advice to staff across all service areas, on the operation and practice of the Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.
• Communicating with people at all levels of the organisation.
• Facilitating group discussions.

Knowledge

Essential criteria

• Extensive understanding and knowledge of community care legislation and guidance including: New Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act
• Substantial experiential knowledge of working as a practitioner in a Mental Health care setting.
• Acquired substantial specialist managerial knowledge through managing a team of staff.
• Knowledge of IT and its application within training.

In view of Home Office Immigration Regulations all applicants must state their current immigration status, including expiry dates.

Bradford District Care Trust is an award-winning Trust that provides a range of innovative services that have been recognised as best practice nationally. As a provider of care for people of all ages who have mental and/or community health needs we are dedicated to providing a high-quality service, close to where people live and as much as possible tailored to an individual’s needs.

The Trust’s purpose is to create connected communities and help people to feel as healthy as they can be at every point in their lives and our vision is to connect people to the best quality care, when and where they need it and be a national role model as an employer and provide our staff with the best place to work.

Bradford has been awarded the coveted status of UK City of Culture 2025. The year is set to deliver more than 1000 new performances and events including 365 artist commissions, a series of major arts festivals as well as exciting national and international collaborations. Its themes will be rooted in the unique heritage and character of Bradford and will reveal the magic of the district that is held in its people, its ambition, and above all, its potential.

We would welcome applicants with lived experience of providing unpaid care and/or support to a family member or friend with a disability, health condition, frailty, mental health problem, addiction or other health and care needs.

We welcome people from all backgrounds and in particular Bradford District Care Trust is keen to reflect the population we serve, we are currently underrepresented in terms of black and minority ethnic staff. Applications are encouraged from these groups, but it must be stressed that selection will be solely on merit and in accordance with the Trust recruitment policy.

BDCFT is dedicated to environmental and social sustainability by delivering on the commitments within our Green Plan. All staff are actively encouraged and supported to participate in training and to identify and implement sustainable quality improvement across all service areas and activities.

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.