Best Interest Assessor (BIA) (Ref: 2023_610)
Contract Type: Permanent
Hours: 22 per week
This is an exciting opportunity for a qualified, enthusiastic, and capable Best Interests Assessor (BIA) to join our Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) Team on the Isle of Wight. This opportunity has come at an exciting time when the DoLS Team has been growing and evolving as it has looked to improve the way it works.
The Isle of Wight Adult Social Care DoLS Team has a supportive and engaged management structure including a Service Manager, Team Manager and 2 Senior Practitioners. It also consists of 5 Best Interest Assessors and 3 Co-ordinators.
Under the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards Legislation, the Isle of Wight Council acts as the Supervisory Body, overseeing the authorisations of a deprivation of liberty in residential/nursing care home settings and hospitals. The Best Interests Assessor will undertake assessments within the scope of the DoLS legal framework and complete the necessary reports. The BIA will also promote a wider and better understanding for colleagues, of the Mental Capacity Act, Deprivation of Liberty safeguards across health and social care on the Isle of Wight.
The Isle of Wight Adult Social Care uses a strength-based approach, working with the community and our third sector partners. The Isle of Wight has a unique demographic, providing a variety of opportunities for professional practice. The Isle of Wight Adult Social Care Department and in particular the DoLS Team, promotes a learning culture and provides a supportive and robust CPD programme as well as reflective supervision and peer support. Applicants must hold a current DoLS Best Interests Assessor qualification, have experience of completing these assessments and have undertaken DoLS/BIA legal update training within the last twelve months.
Duties will include:
- Undertaking DoLS Assessments and completing appropriate reports; providing these to the Senior Practitioners.
- Supporting colleagues in health and social care with understanding and applying the Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, as well as keeping update with any changes in legislation.
- Supporting Best Interests Assessors and Social Work Colleagues in other service areas with keeping up to date on developments in DoLS and MCA.
We provide annual DoLS Legal update training to our Best Interest Assessors; monthly team meetings; monthly supervision; regular BIA support/CPD sessions; and some administrative support from our DoLS Coordinators. You will be required to take part in the Out of Hours (OOH) stand-by duty rota as and when requested by management.
About us:
Here on the Isle of Wight we strive to be the best we can be for our community, with talented Social Care professionals leading the way. We are a hard-working team, and it doesn’t go unnoticed, in fact, we’ve just been named as finalists for one of the most prestigious awards in Adult Social Care - The MJ Awards 2021 in the Care and Health Integration category!
In fact, the last 4 years have seen our whole service focusing on enabling individuals to live independent lives, with our innovative ‘Care Closer to Home’ strategy, and we are seeing impressive results. You can read up on this scheme here.
These are exciting time on the Isle of Wight within Adult Social Care, the whole service has supported a redesign that enhances strength-based practice, working with the community and our third sector partners.
Our offer:
You will benefit from a unique and enriching environment within an organisation that values strong leadership, a good work life balance, quality management and reflective supervision.
Please visit the Adult Social Care career opportunities page which holds inspiring testimonies from team members, a guide to what the Island offers as well as personal development opportunities we offer.