Senior Practitioner - Best Interests Assessor

Kent County Council; Maidstone; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible hybrid working

Job summary

Kent County Council is seeking a Senior Practitioner/Best Interests Assessor to lead and advise on MCA/DOLS assessments. The role involves day-to-day management of the MCA DOLS Service and guiding Best Interests Assessors, with emphasis on quality and ongoing training.

Hybrid working is available, with travel across Kent. A relevant professional qualification and active registration are required, and an Enhanced DBS check will be completed as part of the process.

Qualifications

• Experience advising at key stages of MCA/DOLS assessments.
• Proven ability to support learning and supervise practitioners.

Responsibilities

• Manage the MCA DOLS service on a day-to-day basis.
• Provide guidance to Best Interests Assessors and other professionals.
• Stay updated on legislation and case law relating to MCA/DOLS.

Skills

Best Interests Assessors knowledge

Advising professionals

Education

Professional qualification in Social Work, Nursing or Occupational Therapy

Job description

Advert

At Kent County Council, we aim to provide a first-rate service that places the rights of the relevant person at the centre of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (2009) assessments. We know how essential the work is for the empowerment of the individual and are committed to providing professional guidance and support for our staff and partner colleagues and other interested persons to promote the necessary safeguards when required.

In this role, you will support the management of complex best interests assessments including legal challenge cases, provide advice and guidance to a range of professionals including independent and rota Best Interests Assessors. It is your registered professional knowledge and Best Interests Assessor specialism that will see you advising at key stages of assessments prior to authorisation and will support ongoing quality assurance of the work of a range of Best Interests Assessors. Constantly striving to improve the service through new initiatives, you will maintain awareness of changes in legislation and related case law.

You will actively contribute to a learning culture, which will involve supporting Registered Practitioners undertaking the Best Interests Assessors Level 7 qualification, facilitating Best Interests Assessors Forums and group supervision.

As a Senior Practitioner /Best Interests Assessor, you will enjoy the benefits of KCC Flexible hybrid working arrangements, with the requirement to travel to various locations across Kent at times. The role includes day to day management for the Kent MCA DOLS Service, which is currently based in Maidstone.

You will support the delivery of key developments agreed within the MCA/DOLS Service and Best Interest Assessors Team Action Plan aligned to County Wide Services within Adult Social Care and Health of Kent County Council.

This post is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure application to the Disclosure and Barring service and a relevant professional qualification (Social Work, Nursing or Occupational Therapy) as well as up to date registration with the appropriate professional body.

This post is considered by KCC to be a customer-facing position. The Council therefore has a statutory duty under Part 7 of the Immigration Act (2016) to ensure that post holders have a command of spoken English/Welsh sufficient for the effective performance of the job requirements. The appropriate standards are set out in the Job Description/Person Specification.

Applications to be submitted by: Monday 12/10/26

Interviews will be held on: Monday 19th and Friday 23rd October 2026 at at Kroner House TN24 8XU

Contact Details

Yvonne Phillips - 03000 415455 or Maureen Stirrup 03000 410375

About The Company

Work that works for you and us - let's talk flexibility!

KCC is committed to building a workforce which reflects the diversity of the county's working residents, encouraging applications from people of all ages, abilities, genders, sexual orientations, ethnic backgrounds, faiths and those with caring responsibilities, and aspires to create an inclusive workplace where everyone can be themselves at work.

Job Description & Person Specification:

• MCA DOLS Senior Practitioner - Best Interests Assessor .pdf - MCA DOLS Senior Practitioner - Best Interests Assessor