Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards Best Interests Assessor
| Posting date: | 09 February 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £40,109 to £45,850 per year |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 22 February 2026 |
| Location: | St Mary's House, Eastbourne, BN21 3UU |
| Remote working: | Hybrid - work remotely up to 1 day per week |
| Company: | East Sussex County Council |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 2516 |
Summary
Do you want to shape decisions that truly put people first and safeguard people's rights? Join us! East Sussex Deprivation of Liberty Safeguarding (DoLS) team is looking for a full-time registered professional to complement its team of Best Interest Assessors (BIA).
As a Best Interest Assessor, your day will involve working with people who may be deprived of their liberty under the Mental Capacity Act. You’ll carry out independent, person-centred assessments, meeting with individuals, their families, and care providers to understand needs, wishes, and risks. You’ll balance legal frameworks with human rights principles, making recommendations that can profoundly impact someone’s daily life. On a practical level, this means reviewing case information, visiting care homes or hospitals, conducting structured interviews, liaising with other professionals, and writing clear, legally robust reports. You’ll be expected to weigh up complex and sometimes conflicting viewpoints, ensuring that the individual’s voice remains central.
East Sussex DoLS team undertake proportionate assessments on a case load basis. You will need to demonstrate how you assess in a timely articulate way, summarising a wide range of evidence to clearly and succinctly demonstrate how you have come to a best interest decision on the deprivation of liberty of a person by their care. When Liberty Protection Safeguards comes into place, we will offer you university-based training.
We are a countywide team with hybrid working and an office base at St Marys House in Eastbourne.
You must be a registered Social Worker, Nurse, Psychologist, or Occupational Therapist with two or more years post qualifying experience. A requirement of the role is that you are a Best Interest Assessor. If you are not already a BIA, you must successfully gain BIA approval as a requirement of the post.
We are looking for candidates with the following experience:
Professional qualification and current registration to practice as a Social Worker, Occupational Therapist, Nurse, or Psychologist
Best Interest Assessor University training
Assessment and interviewing skills
Liaison and advocacy with colleagues and other agencies
Safeguarding skills
Construct and present written reports within timescales
Ability to work both independently and as part of a team
Ability to work creatively with adults
As a Best Interest Assessor, your day will involve working with people who may be deprived of their liberty under the Mental Capacity Act. You’ll carry out independent, person-centred assessments, meeting with individuals, their families, and care providers to understand needs, wishes, and risks. You’ll balance legal frameworks with human rights principles, making recommendations that can profoundly impact someone’s daily life. On a practical level, this means reviewing case information, visiting care homes or hospitals, conducting structured interviews, liaising with other professionals, and writing clear, legally robust reports. You’ll be expected to weigh up complex and sometimes conflicting viewpoints, ensuring that the individual’s voice remains central.
East Sussex DoLS team undertake proportionate assessments on a case load basis. You will need to demonstrate how you assess in a timely articulate way, summarising a wide range of evidence to clearly and succinctly demonstrate how you have come to a best interest decision on the deprivation of liberty of a person by their care. When Liberty Protection Safeguards comes into place, we will offer you university-based training.
We are a countywide team with hybrid working and an office base at St Marys House in Eastbourne.
You must be a registered Social Worker, Nurse, Psychologist, or Occupational Therapist with two or more years post qualifying experience. A requirement of the role is that you are a Best Interest Assessor. If you are not already a BIA, you must successfully gain BIA approval as a requirement of the post.
We are looking for candidates with the following experience:
Professional qualification and current registration to practice as a Social Worker, Occupational Therapist, Nurse, or Psychologist
Best Interest Assessor University training
Assessment and interviewing skills
Liaison and advocacy with colleagues and other agencies
Safeguarding skills
Construct and present written reports within timescales
Ability to work both independently and as part of a team
Ability to work creatively with adults
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.