The starting salary for this role is £46,399 per annum based on a 36-hour working week.

This is a one-year fixed term contract /secondment opportunity until July 2026.

We are excited to be hiring a new Best Interest Assessor to join our fantastic Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DOLS) Team. We are a county-wide team based in Woking, however, there is an opportunity to work flexibly, including from your own home and at other Surrey County Council offices.

"I have been with the team for just over six months and have found the nature of work to be interesting and challenging, but manageable. Having worked independently for years, I was concerned about the move to working within in an established team, but the support available from my colleagues and regular supervision has enabled me to do so with confidence. The management are approachable and available, and encourage a flexible approach to office and home-based working, which increases my productivity and supports 'work life balance'. The ethos of the team is to foster a sense of equality and mutual learning, and to anyone thinking of applying for a position within the team I would highly recommend them to do so". Joe Kelly - Best Interests Assessor.

Rewards and Benefits

• 26 days' holiday (prorated for part time staff), rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 30 days after 5 years' service
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• An extensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Up to 5 days of carer's leave per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more
• 2 paid volunteering days per year
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources

About the Role

This role offers a fantastic opportunity to further develop your understanding and experience of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, and you will be helping to support MCA practice across adult social care in Surrey. You will receive regular supervision, reflective practice sessions and annual Best Interest Assessor legal update training as part of your role.

Primarily, you will be undertaking Best Interest Assessments in care homes and hospitals where people are being deprived of their liberty; often these will be more 'complex' requests and will require you to have detailed understanding and knowledge of the application of DOLS and the Mental Capacity Act. On a weekly basis, you will also contribute to the team's duty system, including triaging incoming DOLS authorisation requests, quality assuring assessments completed by other assessors, responding to email and telephone queries, and providing support and advice to both external agencies and other adult social care teams. You will also support the development and training of trainee Best Interest Assessors.

Our team consists of administrative staff, DOLS Coordinators and Best Interest Assessors who work collaboratively with an ethos of supporting each other to ensure that the objectives of the team are achieved.

Shortlisting Criteria

To be considered for shortlisting, your CV and personal statement will clearly evidence the following:

• A Best Interest Assessor qualification and relevant post qualifying experience, including an ability to prioritise workload and to make decisions concerning people's liberty
• Excellent interpersonal skills to communicate in a clear and concise manner
• Confidence and ability to use IT systems and to produce reports of a high standard that will bear legal scrutiny
• Excellent working knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act, Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards and other related legislation

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 7th April 2025 with interviews taking place week commencing 21st April 2025.

An enhanced DBS 'Disclosure and Barring Service' check for regulated activity and the Children's and Adults' Barred List checks will be required for this role.

Our Commitment

Surrey County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. A guaranteed interview will be offered to all disabled applicants where:

• The candidate has evidenced the minimum criteria for the role through their application
• The candidate has chosen to share that they have a disability on the application form

Our application form and onboarding process will provide an opportunity to request any reasonable adjustments for the interview and/or the role.

We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all underrepresented groups.