Court of Protection Team Lead Practitioner

NHS; Preston; On-site; GBP 47,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional health authority in England seeks a qualified Nurse or Social Worker to lead Court of Protection activities. This role involves ensuring compliance with legislation while supporting patients and colleagues across the Integrated Care Board. Candidates must possess a valid nursing registration, a Master's degree, and experience in relevant fields. This full-time permanent position offers a salary between £47,810 and £54,710.

Qualifications

• Evidence of continual professional development.
• Ability to travel around Lancashire & South Cumbria.

Responsibilities

• Lead on Court of Protection cases to ensure compliance.
• Advise colleagues on MCA and DOLS matters.
• Initiate and complete CoP applications.

Skills

Ability to identify changes in legislation

Experience of developing and presenting training

Research and analysis skills

Education

First level nurse registered with the NMC

Master's degree level or equivalent

Job description

Job Summary

The post holder will uphold the values of the organisation and lead by example supporting a working culture across the Lancashire & South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (LSC ICB):

Lead on Court of Protection (COP) cases to ensure ICB compliance with The Mental Capacity Act (MCA) and Court of Protection (CoP).

To support and advise colleagues in matters relating to the MCA and DOLS, to ensure current case law and legislation is being embedded into clinical practice to promote best practice and compliance with the law. This role sits in the ICB Lancashire & South Cumbria alongside the Safeguarding Team where health funding is in place, supporting patients in receipt of NHS funding including Continuing Healthcare (CHC), joint funding and complex care funding. The post holder will be responsible for developing and setting best practice standards relating to the MCA, safeguarding and associated legislation. The post will provide strong professional leadership and expertise to colleagues within the ICB but also external stakeholders such as the Local Authority and provider Trusts.

This is an exciting and challenging opportunity for a highly motivated and enthusiastic Nurse/Social Worker or health professional with significant experience and genuine commitment to Court of Protection activity. It is also an opportunity for further development.

Please be aware that the organisation is undergoing a period of reform and organisational change.

Main duties of the job

• To be responsible for initiating and completing CoP applications and advising and supporting patients and their representatives throughout.
• Act in accordance with professional standards providing professional leadership, motivation, and support to colleagues of all disciplines ensuring compliance with statutory, mandatory local policy and guidance requirements, and professional standards. This will include supporting in capacity assessments and best interest meetings.
• To provide support with the current tracking system of CoP applications required across the ICB, triaging referrals utilising a prioritisation model.
• Be required to undertake high level of communication to work with clinical leaders, legal teams, Court professionals, senior external colleagues to support the progression of Court applications whilst also providing support to patients and their representatives to improve their experience.
• To be skilled in effectively communicating complex sensitive information.
• To have the ability to deal with frequent difficult situations arising from the complex nature of CoP applications and applying least restrictive principles as per MCA (2005).
• To maintain professional confidentiality in all matters relating to patient care seeking advice where required when sharing patient information.
• To maintain up to date knowledge regarding developments in legislation specifically The Mental Health Act (MHA), Mental Capacity Act (MCA), safeguarding and associated case law.

About us

The Lancashire and South Integrated Care Board (ICB) was formally established as a new statutory body on 1 July 2022, replacing the eight clinical commissioning groups across Lancashire and South Cumbria.

Our role is to join up health and care services, improve people's health and wellbeing, and to make sure everyone has the same access to services and gets the same outcomes from treatment. Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB is a highly complex organisation serving a population of over 1.8 million people.

We uphold the values of the organisation and lead by example supporting a working culture across the ICB from a commissioning and safeguarding perspective is founded on:

• Striving in everything we do to ensure high quality of care
• Effective clinical leadership and constructive clinical challenge

Please note that the main headquarters of Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB is County Hall, Preston.

Details

Date posted: 04 November 2025

Pay scheme: Agenda for change

Band: Band 7

Salary: £47,810 to £54,710 a year pa

Contract: Permanent

Working pattern: Full-time

Reference number: 125-ICB033-25

Job locations: County Hall, Fishergate, Preston, PR1 8XJ

Job description

Please see attached full job description for more information attached in the next section of the trac system. This will provide all further information regarding the post.

Person Specification

Qualifications (Essential)

• First level nurse registered with the NMC
• Evidence of continual professional development
• Master's degree level or equivalent

Work Related Knowledge and Skills (Essential)

• Ability to identify changes in legislation and policy and apply that to day-to-day practice within the IPA service.
• Experience of developing and presenting training to colleagues and external professionals
• Ability to research, prepare, read, and analyse extensive amount of information in preparation for Court applications, statements, and hearings.

Desirable

• Experience in writing statements and reports to be presented to Court and in line with legal expectations.
• Experience of liaising with lawyers and barristers and understanding of their roles and responsibilities

Other Essential

• Ability to travel around Lancashire & South Cumbria

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name: NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (125)

Address: County Hall, Fishergate, Preston, PR1 8XJ

Employer's website: https://www.lancashireandsouthcumbria.icb.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)