Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) Lead
| Posting date: | 12 February 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £46,075 to £52,269 per year |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 01 March 2026 |
| Location: | Reading, Berkshire |
| Remote working: | Hybrid - work remotely up to 2 days per week |
| Company: | Reading Borough Council |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: |
Summary
Are you passionate about protecting people’s rights, championing best practice, and shaping high‑quality practice across Adult Social Care? If so, we have an exciting opportunity for you to become a key leader within our Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) Team at Reading Borough Council.
We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity and inclusion is the key to our success. Reading Borough Council is a Disability Confident Employer and is committed to the recruitment and continued employment of people with disabilities.
We support hybrid working, it’s important to us that working arrangements are designed to enable our employees to excel and within this role you’ll have the opportunity to work in a way that suits your lifestyle.
About the Role:
In this pivotal role, you will be the Council’s primary expert advisor on the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) and DoLS, supporting complex cases, delivering high‑quality training, and ensuring excellence in our statutory practice.
At Reading, our mission is simple: supporting the life that matters to you. We are committed to empowering our communities, enabling independence, and delivering outstanding, strengths‑based social care.
You’ll be part of an ambitious and supportive leadership team, driven by a shared commitment to excellence in Adult Social Care. You will shape how we embed the MCA across the organisation, influence practice at every level, and make a meaningful difference to adults in Reading.
If you’re a dynamic, enthusiastic professional with deep expertise in MCA/DoLS and a strong passion for rights‑based and strengths‑based practice… we’d love to hear from you.
You will:
Lead the operational delivery of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards and champion high‑quality MCA practice.
Provide expert guidance on complex mental capacity queries across the Council.
Deliver engaging training to staff at all levels.
Monitor and support the Council’s compliance with MCA and DoLS.
Review and strengthen processes to meet statutory requirements.
Offer advice or escalate issues where practice risks or concerns arise.
Ensure systems and records are robust, effective, and aligned with best practice.
This is an opportunity to step into a role with influence, autonomy, and real impact.
You will need to have:
A degree in Social Work (or equivalent)
Best Interests Assessor qualification (essential)
Registration with Social Work England
Significant professional experience in MCA/DoLS
A passion for promoting rights, choice, independence, and robust safeguarding practice
Energy, flexibility, and the ability to inspire others
You will have access to our Learning and Development programme and be supported in your career and personal growth with opportunities to learn and develop new clinical skills, helping you to build your Continuing Professional Development portfolio, extending your skills and supporting you to grow as a social worker.
You’ll be part of a team that relies on each individual to play their part to the best of their ability. As well as the colleagues that you work closely with every day, you’ll also be part of Team Reading, playing your personal part in making Reading a successful and vibrant place.
Our vision is to ensure that Reading realises its potential as a great place to live, work and play, and that everyone shares the benefits of this success. Our values and behaviours guide how we will achieve this:
Work Together as one team - work collaboratively, with each other and with our partners, and demonstrate the Team Reading values in everything we do
Drive Efficiency - show initiative, be adaptable to change and put forward ideas to help improve delivery and efficiency. Take responsibility for our own learning and development and for reaching our potential
Be Ambitious - be demanding of our own performance – striving to be even better – and be prepared to engage with and challenge leaders in a constructive and positive way
Make a Difference to Reading - maintain the highest levels of customer service and be flexible and willing to provide the services needed at the time they are needed
Our offer:
A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:
Generous holiday entitlement - 25 days holiday each year plus bank holidays - rising to 33 days after 10 years' service, with the option to buy additional leave
Maternity, adoption, parental and sick pay
A wide range of flexible working opportunities
Access to a range of training and learning opportunities to help you develop
Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
On-site day nursery (Kennet Day nursery) rated outstanding by Ofsted, and a salary sacrifice scheme to help lower the cost of your nursery fees
Season Ticket Loan - a loan to help with the cost of your rail or bus journey, to and from work
Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand new, greener car for three years. The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing and road tax
Salary sacrifice scheme for Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVCs) to help you save for your retirement
If you would like to find out more about this role and the team, please contact Jo Purser – Deputy Executive Director Communities and Adult Social Care – Jo.purser@reading.gov.uk
Closing date: Sunday 1st March 2026
Interview date: To be confirmed
Interview Setup: In person at the Civic Offices, Bridge Street, Reading
We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity and inclusion is the key to our success. Reading Borough Council is a Disability Confident Employer and is committed to the recruitment and continued employment of people with disabilities.
We support hybrid working, it’s important to us that working arrangements are designed to enable our employees to excel and within this role you’ll have the opportunity to work in a way that suits your lifestyle.
About the Role:
In this pivotal role, you will be the Council’s primary expert advisor on the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) and DoLS, supporting complex cases, delivering high‑quality training, and ensuring excellence in our statutory practice.
At Reading, our mission is simple: supporting the life that matters to you. We are committed to empowering our communities, enabling independence, and delivering outstanding, strengths‑based social care.
You’ll be part of an ambitious and supportive leadership team, driven by a shared commitment to excellence in Adult Social Care. You will shape how we embed the MCA across the organisation, influence practice at every level, and make a meaningful difference to adults in Reading.
If you’re a dynamic, enthusiastic professional with deep expertise in MCA/DoLS and a strong passion for rights‑based and strengths‑based practice… we’d love to hear from you.
You will:
Lead the operational delivery of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards and champion high‑quality MCA practice.
Provide expert guidance on complex mental capacity queries across the Council.
Deliver engaging training to staff at all levels.
Monitor and support the Council’s compliance with MCA and DoLS.
Review and strengthen processes to meet statutory requirements.
Offer advice or escalate issues where practice risks or concerns arise.
Ensure systems and records are robust, effective, and aligned with best practice.
This is an opportunity to step into a role with influence, autonomy, and real impact.
You will need to have:
A degree in Social Work (or equivalent)
Best Interests Assessor qualification (essential)
Registration with Social Work England
Significant professional experience in MCA/DoLS
A passion for promoting rights, choice, independence, and robust safeguarding practice
Energy, flexibility, and the ability to inspire others
You will have access to our Learning and Development programme and be supported in your career and personal growth with opportunities to learn and develop new clinical skills, helping you to build your Continuing Professional Development portfolio, extending your skills and supporting you to grow as a social worker.
You’ll be part of a team that relies on each individual to play their part to the best of their ability. As well as the colleagues that you work closely with every day, you’ll also be part of Team Reading, playing your personal part in making Reading a successful and vibrant place.
Our vision is to ensure that Reading realises its potential as a great place to live, work and play, and that everyone shares the benefits of this success. Our values and behaviours guide how we will achieve this:
Work Together as one team - work collaboratively, with each other and with our partners, and demonstrate the Team Reading values in everything we do
Drive Efficiency - show initiative, be adaptable to change and put forward ideas to help improve delivery and efficiency. Take responsibility for our own learning and development and for reaching our potential
Be Ambitious - be demanding of our own performance – striving to be even better – and be prepared to engage with and challenge leaders in a constructive and positive way
Make a Difference to Reading - maintain the highest levels of customer service and be flexible and willing to provide the services needed at the time they are needed
Our offer:
A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:
Generous holiday entitlement - 25 days holiday each year plus bank holidays - rising to 33 days after 10 years' service, with the option to buy additional leave
Maternity, adoption, parental and sick pay
A wide range of flexible working opportunities
Access to a range of training and learning opportunities to help you develop
Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
On-site day nursery (Kennet Day nursery) rated outstanding by Ofsted, and a salary sacrifice scheme to help lower the cost of your nursery fees
Season Ticket Loan - a loan to help with the cost of your rail or bus journey, to and from work
Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand new, greener car for three years. The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing and road tax
Salary sacrifice scheme for Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVCs) to help you save for your retirement
If you would like to find out more about this role and the team, please contact Jo Purser – Deputy Executive Director Communities and Adult Social Care – Jo.purser@reading.gov.uk
Closing date: Sunday 1st March 2026
Interview date: To be confirmed
Interview Setup: In person at the Civic Offices, Bridge Street, Reading
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.