Best Interest Assessor (BIA)

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.

Team IWC Values:

• Community & Customer focused

• Effective & Efficient

• Working together

• Fair & transparent

We are proud of our commitment to offer:

• Supporting and supervising all our social care workforce

• Providing opportunities for our staff as they develop and progress their professional careers

• Providing regular training opportunities

We are looking forward to receiving your application if you have what it takes to make a difference and share our vision and values.

Please view information pack and complete your job application online at www.iow.gov.uk/jobvacancies telephone 01983 823134 or email callcentre@iow.gov.uk  if you need further information about applying. Please note only applications completed and submitted online by the closing date will be accepted.

In the interests of efficiency and economy, no further communication will be sent to you unless you reach the final shortlist. This means that if you do not hear from the recruiting manager within three weeks of the closing date, we regret that your application will not have been successful on this occasion. 

PLEASE NOTE: Out of Hours Standby and Call Out

You will be required to take part in the Out of Hours Stand-by Duty Rota as and when requested by management.  Standby and call out duties are paid in accordance with the IWC Terms and Conditions 2012 document.

Please click here to view the Isle of Wight Council’s Care Close to Home Strategy.

When you join #TeamIWC you'll receive our staff benefits package, including:

-  Annual leave entitlement of 32 days p/a PLUS public holidays!

-  Local Government pension scheme

-  Discounted Solent ferry travel

-  Island bus network discount

-  Cycle to work scheme

-  Staff parking permit scheme

-  Discounted island sports & leisure gym membership

-  National and local discounts & benefits schemes

A relocation scheme of up to £8,000 may be available to new employees specifically relocating to the Isle of Wight to take up a role with us. If you choose to commute to the Isle of Wight daily, you may be eligible get your travel costs reimbursed. Further details are available upon request.

Find out more about working for the Isle of Wight Council and living on the Island here.

The Isle of Wight Council protects its employees from discrimination and this is supported by the Unacceptable Behaviour Policy, Employee Code of Conduct and Behaviours Framework. We actively promote the diversity of our workforce and we provide flexible working options (where appropriate) to support the different needs of our employees.

The Isle of Wight Council’s Terms & Conditions of employment are available upon request. Please contact our recruitment team via adverts@iow.gov.uk if you would like to receive a copy.

The Isle of Wight Council is an equal opportunities employer, who is proud to encourage applications from all cultures, backgrounds and abilities to better reflect the diversity within our local community. In addition to this, we are also a Disability Confident Employer. Along with a number of other areas of commitments, this means that providing you meet the basic essential requirements of the advertised role and have declared yourself as disabled, you will be offered an opportunity for an interview within the council.

If you have difficulty completing your online application or if you need further information about how to apply, telephone 01983 823134 or email callcentre@iow.gov.uk. Please note only applications completed and submitted online by the closing date will be accepted.

We often receive a high volume of applicants for our vacancies. If you do not hear from the recruiting manager within three weeks of the closing date, we regret that your application will not have been successful on this occasion. If unsuccessful, we actively encourage you to revisit our job pages and apply to alternate posts that may be suitable.