Senior Best Interests Assessor - DoLS
Contract: 12 months
Location: Home based and Hereford once a week
Hours: 37
Salary: £40,777-£45,091 per annum
Closing date: 04.05.2026
Interviews: Week 11.05.2026
A Vibrant Senior Best Interests Assessor Opportunity at Herefordshire Community Wellbeing!
Ready to make an extraordinary impact? Herefordshire Community Wellbeing is seeking a passionate Senior Best Interests Assessor (BIA) to support operational leadership of the DoLS service, including quality assurance, supervision and practice scrutiny.
You will be supporting the AMHP, DoLS & EDT services Manager with a robust authorisation process for DoLS, including scrutinising completed DoLS assessments submitted by Drs and Best Interests Assessors, ensuring these are legally robust, defensible and ready for authorisation. You will be supporting with provision of professional supervision and practice guidance to BIAs, and supporting effective workflow, allocation, and prioritisation of cases as well as acting as a senior source of advice on the Mental Capacity Act, DoLS and relevant case law; providing expert guidance and support to staff in managing complex assessments.
This isn't just another job; it's a chance to immerse yourself in an incredibly rewarding environment with a passionate, values-driven team. Our DoLS service plays a central role in safeguarding some of the most vulnerable people in our community and we support practitioners to make thoughtful, legally sound decisions in complex situations. This is a team where your professional judgement and values really matter.
The Role
Herefordshire DoLS team is a small, friendly, experienced and highly supportive team that values collaboration, reflective practice and shared learning. This role is flexible, home based, with one day a week spent in the office in Hereford. You will be supporting the AMHP, DoLS & EDT services Manager with quality assurance, practice scrutiny, staff supervisions, allocations and DoLS Forums. You will act as a senior source of advice on the Mental Capacity Act, DoLS, and relevant case law and contribute to service development, policy updates, and procedural guidance as well as deputising for the service manager as required.
We invest in continuous professional development with specialist training and opportunities to develop leadership within the service.
About You
We are looking for someone with the right people skills, values and commitment to upholding the human rights of those we work with.
- You will need to be a qualified Best Interests Assessor with at least 2 years of BIA practice and experience of assessing a range of client groups
- You will need to have a strong commitment to protecting the human rights of those we work with and strong knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act, The Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, The Care Act and Safeguarding.
We Offer
A competitive salary, holiday entitlement, and access to our contributory pension and staff benefits scheme, which includes:
- Salary range of £40,777-£45,091
- Enrolment in the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
- Career progression: clear pathways to progress
- Annual Leave: 31 days’ annual leave (pro rata) plus bank holidays. You can also purchase an additional 10 days per annum during the request period
- Flexible working: including the potential for job-sharing, part-time hours and agile working.
- Employee Assistance Programme: 24/7 access to support and counselling
- Payment of professional membership fees (based on role requirements)
- Pick your perks – our benefits include access to a range of retail, leisure, holiday and health benefits. This includes savings, cash back and discounts.
Why Choose Us?
We're proud and excited to unveil our new recruitment video, a celebration of Herefordshire's people, places, and purpose. Set in the heart of England and filled with pride, compassion and possibility, the video brings to life what it means to work somewhere you truly belong.
At Herefordshire Council, every role matters and every person makes a real difference for our communities. We’re a team where people feel valued, supported and empowered to grow together.
You will probably have heard a lot about how beautiful it is in terms of countryside and open spaces (and it is!) but there is so much more going on here, including world-class cultural assets like the Mappa Mundi, vibrant theatres and a thriving food and drink sector. One of Herefordshire’s biggest assets is the strong and diverse communities. Our Talk Community approach brings that together supporting people to help themselves, encouraging them to help their communities and identifying how communities can help individuals.
Our ambitious transformation programme aims to further build on this to offer an all-age approach. We’re excited about the potential of what we can achieve for the benefit of all residents of Herefordshire, stronger together and building brighter futures.
Don’t meet all parts of the job description?
Herefordshire Council is committed to strengthening a diverse and inclusive work environment which reflects the communities of Herefordshire. If you are looking at the next stage of your career and have a broad base of fieldwork experience, we can provide supportive and welcoming opportunities to help you develop your professional, management & supervisory skills.
Reasonable Adjustments
Our recruitment process runs in partnership with Hoople Resourcing. If you require any reasonable adjustments or alternative methods for the online application process, please contact the resourcing team by email: [email protected].
Creating an inclusive workplace
We encourage our employees to feel empowered and to use their voices to help embrace diversity, promote inclusivity and shape our organisation. We have eight employee network groups, collectives of colleagues who often share identities, life experiences or cultures and offer support and community. They also play an important role in strengthening the voices of employees at Herefordshire Council. Embedded in the Council's values is a commitment to listen to people's views and needs.
For more information on our Employee Network Groups please view our dedicated recruitment website: www.spiritofherefordshire.com.
Herefordshire Community Wellbeing isn't just a place to work; it's a mission. We're on the hunt for passionate, confident Social Workers who want to join our supportive team and champion the wellbeing of adults across our vibrant county. If you believe in the power of strengths-based practice and thrive in a dynamic environment, you belong here.
Commitments, Covenants and Statutory Obligations
The following candidates will be interviewed if they meet the essential criteria for the post they are applying for:
- Those who indicate that they have a disability. This is part of our commitment to the “Disability Confident” scheme.
- Those who indicate in their application that they are an Armed Forces Veteran or Reservist. This is part of our pledge to support the Armed Forces Covenant.
- Those who indicate in their application that they are a Herefordshire care leaver. This is part of our commitment to supporting young people leaving our care.
We take our commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults seriously and expect all of our staff, visitors and volunteers to share in this commitment.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children & young people and vulnerable adults. If you are offered this position, it will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service check.
Ready to make your mark?
We are. For questions or an informal chat, email [email protected] before the deadline.
Be sure to include reference to the job description and person specification. If you are successfully shortlisted, Hoople Resourcing will contact you via email to arrange your interview and/or assessment. They will confirm the date, time and location of your interview, so please keep an eye on your email inbox.
How to apply
To apply for a position, please upload an up-to-date CV and complete the application form demonstrating your experience, skills and abilities for the role.
Be sure to include reference to the job description and person specification or role profile! If you are successfully shortlisted, Hoople Resourcing will contact you via email to arrange your interview and/or assessment. They will confirm the date, time and location of your interview, so please keep an eye on your email inbox - check your spam/ junk folder too.
Good luck, we’re looking forward to meeting you!