Applicants are invited to apply for a permanent 24-hour Best Interest Assessor (BIA) position within the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLs) Team. WHAT IS INVOLVED? To act as Best Interest Assessor in the coordination of Deprivation of Liberty referrals submitted into the team. Ultimately accountable to the Adult Protection & Deprivation of Liberty team Manager these posts primarily carry out operational Deprivation of Liberty assessments and you will work closely with inter-agency colleagues to weigh up the pros and cons of the different options in the light of best interests, least restrictive options, and risk assessment. You will form part of a team of best interest assessors and receive formal supervision from the Adult Protection and DOLS Manager who reports directly to the Strategic Manager within the Safeguarding, Practice Development & Access service. The Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DOLS) were introduced in April 2009 introducing the key role of Best Interests Assessor. The Safeguarding and Practice Development team undertakes the role of ‘Supervisory Body’ on behalf of Adult Services and acts as Local Implementation Lead for the County working with partner agencies and key stakeholders in relation to supporting statutory compliance of Mental Capacity Act and DOLS issues. Best Interest Assessors are central to the entire operation of DOLS as they make the fundamental decisions about whether a deprivation of liberty is taking place and whether it is in a person’s best interests in accordance with the statutory criteria. Your main base will be Green Lane Council offices in Spennymoor however assessments will be completed across Co Durham and you may be expected to work from other council offices. Hybrid working also applies. We encourage you to contact Debbie Blair, Adult Protection and DoLs Team via email debbie.blair@durham.gov.uk to arrange an informal discussion about the role. WHAT WILL I NEED? You should hold a Degree in Social Work or equivalent (e.g. Dip SW, CSS or CQSW) or other Best Interest Assessor passport qualification such as Nursing or Occupational Therapy. You will also be required to have Registration with the relevant professional regulator and a successful completion of an approved Best Interests Assessor (BIA) course. If successful, you will be required to apply for a Disclosure and Barring Service Enhanced Disclosure. Please refer to the attached person specification for the full criteria. REWARDS AND BENEFITS We offer generous rewards and benefits that are designed to help you perform at your best: Competitive salaries and 27 days holiday per year rising to 32 days after five years continuous local government service. Option to purchase up to 10 additional days annual leave per year. Excellent work/life balance through schemes including job sharing, compressed hours and flexi-time (allowing up to 13 flexi days per year). Hybrid working (home and office working). Excellent contributory career average Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). Plus, top up options - Salary Sacrifice Shared Cost AVC scheme and standard AVC scheme for members of the LGPS. Wellbeing Portal and access to an Employee Assist Scheme. Wide range of learning and development opportunities including professional qualifications, coaching and mentoring. Employee Benefits Portal and Lifestyle Savings Scheme (discounts across a host of major retailers). Discounted DCC gym membership. Staff networks run by staff for our staff, including Race Equality and Diversity, Disability, LGBT, Armed Forces, Carers, Menopause. Trade Union membership. A range of other salary sacrifice schemes such as car leasing. Rewards and benefits are subject to individual terms and conditions. Take a closer look: https://www.durham.gov.uk/article/26895/Rewards-and-benefits SOCIAL MEDIA Don’t see the perfect role for you right now? Keep an eye on our social media channels for updates on new opportunities at Durham County Council! Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dccjobsandcareers/ Like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/durhamcountycounciljobsandcareers HYBRID WORKING Durham County Council currently operates a hybrid working policy where a model of 2 days in the workplace and 3 days at home/remote will apply. This model is pro-rated for part time roles and arrangements are at managers discretion, alternatively you can work all of your contracted hours within the workplace if you prefer. EQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION We are a proud equal opportunities employer and recognise that a diverse, talented workforce brings new ideas and new perspectives, which will facilitate growth and improvements to services. We are committed to ensuring that our employment policies and processes are fair and equitable to all. We welcome job applications from everyone, and successful candidates are considered only on their skills and ability to do the job. As a Disability Confident Leader, we encourage applications from disabled people and provide support throughout the recruitment process. Take a closer look: https://www.durham.gov.uk/article/26899/Equality-diversity-and-inclusion-in-our-workforce INTERVIEWS Interviews will be held on 20th May, 2025. We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that can show they meet all the essential criteria and have indicated they have a disability, are a looked after young person, care leaver or a veteran. HOW TO APPLY In line with the County Council's Recruitment and Selection Policy, please note that we are unable to accept CVs. Applications must be submitted on-line via the Northeast Jobs portal. Please use the ‘Person Specification’ section of your application form to demonstrate that you have the essential and where possible, desirable experience, skills, and knowledge. Candidates who do not evidence that they meet the essential qualifications and experience listed on the person specification will not be short-listed. If you have any support needs or require assistance when applying for this role, please contact our Recruitment Helpdesk on 03000 26 27 27 (option 1 AHS), or the Recruitment Team via email at recruitmentAHS@durham.gov.uk We collect personal information from you when you register with North East Jobs and make an application. Details on how we process your personal data is available in our Privacy Notice. https://www.durham.gov.uk/media/24645/Privacy-notice-human-resources/pdf/PrivacyNotice-HR.pdf PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL COMMUNICATION REGARDING YOUR APPLICATION FOR THIS POST WILL BE SENT TO THE EMAIL ADDRESS THAT YOU HAVE REGISTERED WITH NORTH EAST JOBS, INCLUDING YOUR INVITE TO INTERVIEW IF YOU ARE SHORTLISTED. PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL AFTER THE CLOSING DATE FOR NOTIFICATION FROM DONOTREPLY@NORTHEASTJOBS.ORG.UK AS YOU WILL NOT BE NOTIFIED BY ANY OTHER MEANS. PLEASE ENSURE YOU CHECK YOUR JUNK MAIL. VPRS/161