Best Interest Assessor (Adults) DoLS Service

Wirral Council is a place where you can genuinely make a difference, guided by strong organisational values that shape everything we do. Our values - ambitious, professional, resident‑focused and accountable, act as our organisational DNA, influencing how we work, lead and support one another every day. We take pride in delivering great services, acting with integrity, building positive relationships, and always putting residents first, creating a supportive and inclusive culture where everyone can “be the best we can be”. With our beautiful surroundings, ambitious future plans, and a commitment to empowering staff to #BeTheDifference, Wirral Council offers an inspiring environment to grow your career and make a lasting impact.

Wirral Council is recruiting Best Interests Assessors (BIAs) to join our developing Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) service within the Adult Social Care Directorate. 8 x 36-hour posts and 1 x 18-hour post – permanent roles.

About the Role: You will undertake Mental Capacity Assessments, Best Interests decisions, and Care Act assessments, including work relating to Section 21A DoLS challenges, supporting adults in the community and following hospital discharge. This is a varied role involving reviews, safeguarding, CHC work, and multidisciplinary collaboration, with a strong focus on strengths-based, legally literate practice.

About the Candidate:

• Qualified Social Worker (Social Work England registered)
• BIA qualified
• Strong knowledge of Care Act, MCA/DoLS and safeguarding
• Experience with complex cases, MCA/Best Interests, and MDT working
• Able to undertake face-to-face visits across Wirral

Why Join Us?

• Be part of a new and evolving DoLS service
• Supportive, CPD-focused team environment
• Diverse, meaningful work improving outcomes for adults

Apply now to be part of a service making a real difference. For further information about the role, please contact Carol Mussa, DoLS Team Manager at carolmussa@wirral.gov.uk.

This post is subject to an Enhanced DBS check, including a check of the relevant Barred List(s). The Safer Recruitment & Employment Policy and the Disclosures for Recruitment Procedure can be found at: https://www.wirral.gov.uk/jobs-and-training/job-vacancies/safer-recruitment-and-employment.

Eligibility to work in the UK will be verified in the final stages of the selection process. All candidates must either already have a right to work in the UK before commencing employment or meet the Home Office criteria for Visa sponsorship. Candidates who require sponsorship should evaluate the Home Office eligibility criteria for a Skilled Worker visa before applying.

If you’re already a Wirral Council employee, and as part of our Talent Strategy, we’re committed to strengthening opportunities for our people to learn, grow, progress and thrive. For many of you, this may be preparing and applying for your next role with us, and we're passionate about ensuring you feel supported throughout your internal recruitment experience.

Please get in touch if you want to know more about some of the ways in which we could support you by emailing recruitment@wirral.gov.uk.

If you are a Wirral resident, are unemployed or out of work, and require help with your application, please contact Involve Northwest’s employment and skills team on info@involvenorthwest.org.uk or contact 0151 644 4500 or 0151 652 4349.

Working at Wirral: You’ll also want to know what it’s like to work here so, as a start: Our values are more than just pieces of paper on our walls! We’ve all played a role in developing these, so they reflect the immense pride we have in what we do, what matters to us, what inspires us and inform how we think, approach things and behave. We believe in ensuring staff are well looked after, staff wellbeing is a priority for us. We’re serious about recognising and rewarding people for the great things they do. You’ll benefit from our track record of developing, growing and investing in our people.

We have a range of staff benefits including staff discounts, enrolment into the local government pension scheme (an excellent defined benefit scheme), immediate life cover and ill-health protection. We have a strong flexible working approach, hybrid working, family-friendly employment initiatives and an annual leave package starting with 28 days leave plus public holidays.

We have an inclusive, engaged culture, everyone has a voice, everyone is valued for their contribution and understands the role they play in delivering our strategic priorities. Each voice is heard, each contribution valued. We embrace diversity in our workforce and recognise it is critical to our success. We support an inclusive culture that champions differences and nurtures a sense of belonging. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds, who share our values and our commitment to inclusion to apply for roles with us.

We want you to be your best at work, we create the conditions to help you thrive and we mirror this in our recruitment process. If you’d like us to do anything differently during the recruitment process to make it barrier-free and as accessible as possible please contact recruitment@wirral.gov.uk.

Please note that in accordance with the Council’s policy, employees who are in a formal redeployment situation will be considered in the first instance for all vacancies. It is Council policy not to re-appoint any employee who has left under the terms of the Council's Early Voluntary Retirement (EVR) scheme or who have left with a voluntary severance (VS) package, unless in exceptional circumstances.

Applications will be accepted until midnight on the closing date. We reserve the right to close this vacancy earlier than the specified date should we receive sufficient applications. Applications can only be accepted through the Jobs page following registration. Forms received via the post will not be processed. All applicants invited to interview must evidence their right to work in the UK. Details of required documents can be found by clicking the link at the bottom of the Jobs page. The job description and other supporting documents will not be accessible once the vacancy closing date has passed so if a copy is required you should download it now. We do not accept applications or CVs from recruitment agencies, unless otherwise stated. Therefore, any candidates submitted via a recruitment agency will not be considered for this role.

How to apply: Please apply online by clicking the link below.