Law and Practice for Best Interests Assessors
COMMENT OUT ANCHOR
This module is approved by Social Work England as a course of education to support the development of the advanced practice skills required to practice in the specialist, advanced role of Best Interests Assessor (BIA) within the Mental Capacity Act Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).
All teaching is delivered in person, at Coach Lane Campus. Applicants MUST provide details of their proposed arrangements for practice observation opportunities, and a BIA Practice Assessor who will evaluate the practice competencies.
This is a complex area of practice and an emerging field of knowledge and research. The syllabus supports you to develop the specialist knowledge and skills needed to work effectively with service users who lack the capacity to make decisions about their care or treatment, and who may be deprived of their liberty in hospital or care home settings.
On successful completion of the module you will demonstrate the advanced practice skills prescribed by the Mental Capacity (Deprivation of Liberty: Standard Authorisations, Assessments and Ordinary Residence) Regulations 2008 including:
- Identifying, managing and working to prevent deprivation of liberty
- Determining the best interests of service users who lack capacity to make decisions about their care arrangements
- Working effectively with other professionals, carers and advocates in complex practice situations
- The exercise of critical judgement in complex, independent decision making and report writing skills
- The advanced application of professional Codes of Practice and the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005.
Course Information
Award Type 40 academic credits which depending on your study route may be used to contribute toward the PG Cert Professional Social Work Practice. You will also receive a letter confirming that you have successfully completed an approved course which makes you eligible to be commissioned as a BIA.
Delivery Method In person
Mode of Study
Part time
Location
Coach Lane Campus
Start 5th February 2026
Duration
9 full days of teaching plus additional self-directed practice-based learning.
Sector
Social Work and Education
Course Outline
Learning Environment
Entry Requirements
Key Learning Outcomes
Academic Expertise
Fees and Funding
Enquiries
You will attend five taught days in total, during which you will partake in lectures, seminars and group discussions. A particular feature of the teaching and learning will be the use of case studies that consider the service user and carer’s experience to promote your appreciation of the complexity of working with people who lack the capacity to consent to the arrangements for their treatment or care and who may be deprived of their liberty in their best interests. By exploring and sharing good practice you will obtain a fuller comprehension of your own advanced practitioner role as an integral part of multi-professional practice.
Concurrent with teaching, you will undertake practice tasks to enable you to evidence and be assessed against the Social Work England BIA capabilities by a practising BIA who will usually be employed by the same agency as you.
Classroom and practice-based.
This module is approved by Social Work England as a course of education which supports the development of the advanced practice skills required to practice in the specialist role of Best Interests Assessor (BIA), as prescribed by the Mental Capacity (Deprivation of Liberty: Standard Authorisation, Assessments and Ordinary Residence) Regulations 2008. These regulations restrict entry to such course of education to applicants who are:
- Social workers registered with Social Work England or,
- First level nurses, registered in Sub-Part 1 of the Nurses’ Part of the Register; or,
- Occupational therapists registered with the HCPC; or,
- Chartered psychologists listed in the British Psychological Society’s Register who hold a relevant practising certificate issued by that society.
In addition, you must:
- Not be suspended from the register or list relevant to their profession, and
- Have a minimum of 2 years’ post registration experience in that profession.
Knowledge & Understanding
- Demonstrate a critical appreciation of the terms and provisions of the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and its Codes of Practice.
- Demonstrate critical application of relevant knowledge, research, and evidence to professional practice.
Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities
- Critically justify processes of decision making within the legislative context of the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and its Codes of Practice; demonstrating the ability to evaluate analyse and record complex evidence and differing views.
- Demonstrate professional capability, leadership, and skills necessary to perform the advanced specialist role required.
Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity)
- Critically appraise the ethical issues which may arise when working with people who lack the mental capacity to make decisions about their care.
Programme leader: Dr Carole Southall
Module leader: Cathryn Meredith
£1628
Cathryn Meredith AMHP/BIA Lead - cat.meredith@nothumbria.ac.uk
