Principal Social Worker & Best Interests Assessor
Job Reference Ref/3423/8794
Number of Positions:
1
Contract Type:
Full Time
Working Hours:
37
Location:
Haylock House, Kettering Parkway, Kettering
Closing Date:
19/07/2026
Job Category:
Social Care – Adults
Organisation:
North Northamptonshire Council
Benefits
We offer a vibrant working environment with:
- A pension scheme, where we pay a significant contribution on top of your contribution. It provides life cover and ill-health protection.
- Lots of opportunities to develop your skills, knowledge and potential in a large unitary council
- Generous leave entitlement (28 days, rising to 33 days) and bank holidays, plus the option to buy up to an extra 10 days
- Hybrid and flexible working arrangements, where practicable for service needs to help you with a healthy work-life balance.
We provide a range of great benefits such as an Employee Assistance Programme, an Employee Benefits Scheme, wellbeing support, travel rates at HMRC rates, as well as supporting a range of active Employee Network Groups.
About the role
An exciting opportunity to recruit a Principal Social Worker/BIA to join the North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) team to provide a first‑rate service that places the rights of the relevant person at the centre of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards assessments. The PSW role is essential to provide subject matter expert advice and guidance related to mental capacity, DoLS and Community DoLS within the Local Authority and across the Council. To lead on the quality assurance and development of practice, policies and procedures related to DoLS assessments and related activity, to ensure it is of excellent quality and continually improving, promoting high standards and compliance with legislation, statutory guidance, local policies and procedures and best practice. To carry out the role of Best Interest Assessor in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (Dols) Codes of Practice.
Your role will be to support the DoLS Service Manager, Team Manager and Senior Business Support Officers to ensure the efficient operational management of the DoLS Team and DoLS activity. You will be responsible for the scrutiny of DoLS assessments completed by others, ensuring they are of a high quality, providing feedback as required to support practice development. You will be responsible for the timely completion of urgent and/or complex high quality DoLS assessments in accordance with the MCA 2005, DoLS Codes of Practice and best practice. Your professional knowledge as a Best Interests Assessor will see you advising at key stages of the assessment process prior to authorisation of DoLS and you will support the ongoing quality assurance of the work of the team.
You will join a team that is constantly striving to improve our service through new initiatives, you will maintain awareness of changes in legislation, related case law and best practices. You will actively contribute to a learning culture, which will involve supporting qualified social workers in undertaking the Best Interests Assessor qualification, facilitating and support Mental Capacity and Best Interests queries. You will provide advice and guidance to a range of professionals and you will provide professional leadership for the delivery of key developments agreed within the DoLS Service, Adult Social Care, and wider Council.
Values
Our values define who we are and how we operate, by forming the foundation for how we interact with our customers, colleagues and provide our services. They are also at the forefront of our decision making and delivery and are:
- Customer-focused
- Respectful
- Efficient
- Supportive
- Trustworthy
Disability Confident Employer
We are proud to be a recognised Disability Confident Employer and is committed to providing an inclusive recruitment process and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role.
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