Social Worker - (Best Interests Assessor)

Job introduction

In our Adult Social Care social work service we passionately believe that putting relationship-based practice at the centre of everything we do enables us to provide consistent and quality support to citizens within the city so that they can lead independent and fulfilled lives. Brighton & Hove has a unique demographic which makes it a challenging yet very rewarding place to work. Working closely with our partner agencies, we continue to be at the forefront of making a positive difference in challenging times.

But we can’t realise our ambition to become a centre of excellence and best practice without dedicated and motivated social workers and strong, creative leaders. Does this sound like you?

For an informal discussion, please contact Richard D’Souza on Tel: 07909256489

About the role

You must be a qualified Social Worker and be registered with Social Work England or a qualified Occupational Therapist and registered with HCPC. You must be a qualified Best Interests Assessor (BIA) to be considered for this role. 

You should have had experience of:
•    Undertaking Dols assessments as a BIA.
•    Working with people protected by DoLS and/or the provisions of the Mental Capacity Act.
•    Working with diverse and complex situations and in multi-disciplinary contexts.

You must also be able to:
•    Communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
•    Prioritise work in accordance with demand and risk.
•    Promote and sustain professional relationships with a wide range of people including those with care needs, their family/carers, other professionals and relevant agencies.

You should have good knowledge of:
•    Mental Capacity Act 2005
•    Care Act 2014 
•    Human Rights Act 1998
•    Case law pertinent to Dols work

In return we will offer you regular 1-2-1 supervision meetings, bi-annual appraisals, a career average pension scheme, generous leave entitlement, flexible working opportunities plus a range of other staff benefits. 

Please read our Apply for a job at the council (brighton-hove.gov.uk) pages carefully. They give you all the guidance you need to complete your application as well as information on what will happen after you’ve submitted your application and at interview.

As part of your application, you will need to complete your education and work history and upload a supporting statement. Your supporting statement is the most important part of your application as it will be used in the shortlisting process to assess whether you meet the essential requirements for the role that are set out in the person specification and to decide whether you should be offered an interview. Before you start your application, please read our guidance here (Supporting statement guidance (brighton-hove.gov.uk) as this gives important advice which will increase your chance of success in the shortlisting process.

Additional information

Your starting salary will be pro rata if the above position is less than 37 hours or term-time only.

Work Permits: This role does not meet the requirement for UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) Points-based Immigration System. Successful candidates will need to evidence that they have the Right to Work in the UK.

Part office / part home – hybrid -  We are a workplace that supports flexibility and employee wellbeing in the way we work whilst providing the best service for our customers. Team and service working arrangements are designed to support both employee work life balance and team collaboration. These would be part of your individual working arrangements alongside any personal preference agreed with your manager in advance of joining.

*For more information about our values and the benefits of working at the council, visit Why work for us (brighton-hove.gov.uk)

Company information

Please note that this post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, and is subject to a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) Check.

Encouraging a diverse workforce

Our city is known and loved for its diversity. Not only is the mixture of people, culture and skills vital to the economic and social development of the city, it's what makes Brighton & Hove such a great place to live, work and visit. We are committed to developing and retaining a workforce that is representative of the diverse communities we serve so we welcome applications from individuals from all backgrounds. In order to achieve our aims of proportionate representation, we particularly encourage applicants from a BME or White Other background as well as those who identify as disabled, male or trans.

Find out more about our commitment to being a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone can achieve their potential by reading about our fair and inclusive actions, our anti-racism strategy and the work we are doing to encourage a diverse workforce (brighton-hove.gov.uk).