Best Interest Assessor

Number of Vacancies:

1

Time Type:

Full time

Worker Type:

Regular

Proposed Interview Date:

Friday, September 11, 2026

Hours of Work:

37

Hiring Manager:

Tracey McKee

Contact Number: 

01482 613487

Job Description Summary:

This is a full time permanent position.
This role is not available for sponsorship therefore is only open to applicants who have the right to work in the UK
ROLE AND PURPOSE
Working closely with adults within and around the city of Hull, you will fulfil the duties and responsibilities of Best Interest Assessor (BIA) in the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLs) Team, completing comprehensive person-centred assessments to a high standard in determining whether applications made by Managing Authorities to deprive a person of their liberty meet the legal criterion and are in the person’s best interests, as outlined in the Mental Capacity Act 2005, Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, Code of Practice and subsequent case law.
PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES:

1. To promote and safeguard the welfare of children, young people and/or vulnerable adults
2. Customer Focus – Demonstrate a clear focus on the rights of adults under assessment and communicate clearly about the MCA and DoLs process to adults, family/friends and members of the public
3. Performance Management – Maintain comprehensive and accurate case records, producing high quality reports and correspondence for a variety of audiences, including but not limited to, court, meetings, panels, conferences and other agencies.
4. Statutory Obligations – Undertake the role of the BIA in line with legislation, case law and local policy, completing all supporting assessments within statutory timescales, as outlined within the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). Obtaining, evaluating, and analysing complex evidence and differing views and weighing them appropriately in decision making, you will identify and action a proposed deprivation of liberty, assessing whether or not this is within best interest and submit relevant reports to the Supervisory Body or Court of Protection.
3. Assess the person’s situations in a way which maximises their participation and takes into account the views of family members and relevant professionals to determine if the person is being deprived of their liberty and if so if this is in their best interests.
4. Engage with people who may be objecting to the service provision made for them and who may be a risk to self or others to ensure that they have a clear understanding of their rights and are supported to undertake a section 21A challenge where appropriate.
5. Sensitively negotiate when assessing service users and carers where there is conflict or lack of insight to try to resolve this conflict or where this is not possible signpost to available options.
6. Demonstrate through their practice a strong commitment and comprehensive understanding of mental capacity, deprivation of liberty and safeguarding, including critical reflection and analysis of challenging cases, changing contexts at local and national levels, awareness of current issues and evidence-based practice research.
7. Make appropriate recommendations regarding the appointment of Relevant Persons Representative in line with legislation and to escalate any objection cases to the Court of Protection in line with case law.
8. Using their expert knowledge and understanding the post holder will provide professional support, education, advice, and guidance to staff across various agencies in Hull and members of the public.
9. Assist the DoLs and MCA Practice Lead and Operational Team Manager - Dols in helping staff to develop skills and expertise in the areas of mental capacity, deprivation of liberty and safeguarding, providing coaching, and mentoring to social care staff, as requested.
10. Maintain efficient and reliable liaison with other statutory and voluntary agencies, as well as Council departments, having regard to effective working relationships in ensuring Managing Authorities are aware of their responsibilities in ensuring no person is deprived of their liberty without lawful authorisation.
11. To assist in the delivery of awareness/training and practice workshops on the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, policy and procedures ensuring a joint approach with the training department.
12. To support the DoLs and MCA Practice Lead in scrutinising Dols assessments to ensure legal compliance
13. To form part of a duty rota to respond to urgent BIA requests

NC4935.Best Interest Assessor.docx

Compensation Grades:

GRADES 9.

Pay Ranges:

£39,862.00 - £42,839.00

Job Classifications:

3- Not Politically Restricted - Designated As Not Politically Sensitive (Politically Restricted Posts), 7- Enhanced & Adults Barring List - (Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)), Casual - (Travel Allowance Policy), No - (Childcare Disqualification Requirement), No - (Statutory Post)

Benefits of Working of Hull City Council:
- A competitive salary
- An excellent pension through the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
- Initially 23 days annual leave depending on length of service. You will also get eight public holidays per year, and three additional days off, one in May/August and one during the Christmas/New year period
- Career development and learning experiences from a range of training courses and learning methods
- Supportive and forward-thinking culture
- Great career development opportunities

Please ensure that you complete and submit your application by midnight prior to the closing date. Please ensure that your application demonstrates how you meet the essential criteria against the person specification as listed in the job description. 

We are committed to increasing the diversity, equality, and inclusion within our workforce to represent the people we serve and build an environment in which everyone can feel like they belong. We encourage people from all backgrounds to apply. 

We adopt a ‘name blind’ approach to shortlisting. Recruiting managers will not have access to personal information, including your name and contact details, until a shortlisting decision has been made. Equality monitoring information is not accessible by recruiting managers at any stage.

We reserve the right to amend the dates associated with this advert, which may include closing the advert early where required.

The Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

Online searches, including social media, may be carried out as part of the recruitment process.