Best Interest Assessor

Blackburn with Darwen Council; Lancashire; On-site; GBP 41,000 - 46,000; Full time

Job summary

Blackburn with Darwen Council is seeking a Best Interest Assessor to lead DoLS work within the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards Team. You will assess capacity, support lawful decisions, and promote high-quality adult social care.

The role requires a professional DoLS qualification, current registration, and recent DoLS training. You will produce clear reports, liaise with professionals, and help drive the council’s safeguarding agenda toward outstanding care.

Qualifications

• Professional qualification per DoLS regulations and current registration.
• Evidence of Best Interest Assessor award and recent DoLS training.
• In-depth knowledge of Mental Capacity Act 2005 and DoLS.

Responsibilities

• Provide advice about the Mental Capacity Act and DoLS.
• Prepare and present reports to facilitate lawful decisions.
• Provide information and assessments to support care decisions and DoLS authorisations.
• Maintain client records to a high standard.
• Participate in training and contribute to DoLS team development.
• Support safeguarding and adult social care objectives.

Skills

Best Interest Assessor award

Mental Capacity Act knowledge

DoLS understanding

Report writing

Assessment skills

Communication skills

Education

Professional qualification per DoLS regs

Registration with professional body

Job description

Job details

Salary Grade H, SCP 29-33, £41,177 to £45,529 per annum

Terms and Conditions: Full time, 12 Months Fixed Term, 37 hours per week
Department: People
Interview date: TBC

Should this role become permanant, it may not be readvertised.

In Blackburn with Darwen, we believe we have the solid foundations for providing excellent social work services to local people. Furthermore, as a Local Authority, we are incredibly proud to be recently rated as “Good” by the CQC.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and committed Best Interest Assessor to help deliver and lead good quality care and represent adult social care within the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguarding Team. You will be responsible for promoting Blackburn with Darwen’s vision, objectives and priorities effectively to our staff, partners and the public, and supporting the Department and residents on our continuous journey to ‘Outstanding’.

The postholder will need to have a professional qualification as defined by the DoLS regulations (Social Worker/Occupational Therapist/Nurse/Psychologist) and current registration with the relevant professional body, with evidence of the Best Interest Assessor award. There will also need to be evidence of further relevant training for the BIA role within the last 12 months.

The postholder will need to have in depth knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and relevant case law. They will need to demonstrate an understanding of physical and mental health conditions and disabilities, which can affect mental capacity, and of the range of care services to meet the needs of people with these conditions.

Skills:

• . Provide advice and guidance about the Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards
• . Prepare and present reports as necessary to facilitate lawful decisions being made in respect of an individual
• . Provide information, written assessments, reports and statements to support other service professionals, managers and agencies in making decisions related to care. In particular, use agreed assessment formats to make recommendations to The Supervisory Body about the authorisation of Deprivation of Liberty.
• . Maintain client records to a high standard in accordance with relevant legislation, policy and procedures
• . Build upon existing knowledge and practice with research and training to develop individual skills and new approaches for improvement in service provision.
• . Develop one’s own knowledge and practice and contribute to the development of the work of the DoLS team and more widely within the adult social care service.
• . Participate in agreed further relevant training activities as required by relevant legislation

Abilities:

The postholder will need to demonstrate –

• . Confidence in assessment and decision-making skills including experience of completing mental capacity assessments and the ability to produce high quality reports to meet deadlines.
• . Good verbal and written communication skills with the ability to communicate clearly with a clear focus on the rights of individuals under assessment and ability to communicate with a range of professionals and care providers.
• . The ability to prioritise and work with competing deadlines and frequently changing demands.
• . The ability to understand and interpret legislation to meet service requirements.
• . The ability to make professional recommendations about the authorisation of care arrangements amounting to deprivation of liberty

Values

The postholder will demonstrate and work in accordance with the Council’s TRACK values.

We are committed to Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all those we serve, as well as complying with best practice in the application of safeguarding. Therefore, as this role requires working with Children or Vulnerable Adults a Disclosure and Barring (DBS) check will be required as part of the pre-employment checking process, and rechecking will be required as and when determined by the relevant policy.

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Nicola Black (Service Lead – Safeguarding Adult & DoLS) via email at [e-mail]