Best Interest Lead

Closing date: 2 June 2026

Salary: Grade 9 ranging from £41,771 - £46,142 per annum

Transform lives, champion rights & support adults to achieve their full potential.

• Required to have the relevant professional qualification (Social Work, Nursing, Occupational Therapy or Chartered Psychologist) and hold a current Best Interests Assessor Qualification.
• Registered with the relevant professional body (Social Work England, HCPC).
• Location: Somerset/countywide based team.
• Hybrid working opportunities.
• 30 days annual leave (pro-rata for part time).
• 30 hours per week.

Role Purpose

The Best Interest Lead plays a key leadership role within Adult Operations, providing professional and operational oversight of the countywide Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) service. You’ll ensure best interest decision‑making is lawful, timely and person‑centred, protecting the rights of people who lack capacity and supporting high‑quality practice across Somerset.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the day‑to‑day running of the DoLS service, prioritising urgent and complex cases
• Undertake and quality‑assure complex Best Interest Assessments, ensuring legally robust decision‑making
• Provide expert advice and guidance on the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) and DoLS to practitioners, partners and providers
• Support, mentor and develop Best Interests Assessors, contributing to supervision, learning and professional development
• Work closely with legal services and partner agencies, including contributing to Court of Protection processes
• Contribute to service development, audit activity, policy guidance and training to promote continuous improvement

What We’re Looking For – Essential Skills/Experience

• A qualified and approved Best Interests Assessor (BIA) with current professional registration (e.g. Social Work, OT, Nursing or Psychology)
• In‑depth working knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act, DoLS and associated legislation
• Significant experience of undertaking complex and high‑risk Best Interest Assessments
• Experience of quality‑assuring professional practice and written assessments
• Strong analytical, decision‑making and communication skills, with the ability to explain complex legal matters clearly
• Confidence working collaboratively across multi‑disciplinary and multi‑agency settings

A comprehensive list of the job requirements can be found at the bottom of this advert.

About the Team/Service

You’ll join a countywide specialist DoLS service within Adult Operations, working alongside experienced practitioners and leaders committed to high‑quality, rights‑based practice. The team plays a vital role in supporting services across Somerset and promoting lawful, proportionate and person‑centred decision‑making.

Additional Information

Please Note: We may consider offering Skilled Worker visa sponsorship to suitably qualified overseas social workers who are already residing in the UK. To be eligible, applicants must hold a recognised social work qualification and be registered with Social Work England. Sponsorship will be assessed as part of the recruitment process. This is only available to candidates currently living in the UK, as unfortunately we are unable to provide resettlement support. 

Due to the nature of the role and the geographical area of the service across Somerset, which is a largely rural county, with limitations around public transport the ability to be able to travel to any location is essential. Therefore, applicants must have full access to a vehicle that can be used for work purposes.

We recognise and welcome applications from disabled individuals who may require reasonable adjustments to meet this requirement, and we’re happy to discuss this from the first point of contact with the recruitment team.

For an informal chat about the role, you can contact: Sarah Ballantyne sarah.ballantyne@somerset.gov.uk

Please note we reserve the right to close this advert early if we have received a sufficient number of applications, so don't delay, apply today!

Person Specification