Professional/Short course Best Interest Assessment

You may be able to study these modules at Level 6 (BSc level) or Level 7 (Masters level) depending on your academic circumstances. Please contact the CPD Team or the Module Leader for advice if you are unsure which level would be best for you.

The 30 credit Best Interest Assessment module, taken at either level 6 (UZVSBP-30-3) or level 7 (UZVSBQ-30-M), will give you an understanding of the values which support the Mental Capacity Act, particularly in relation to the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and their implications for the role of Best Interest Assessor.

On successful completion of this module, you will be able to:

• critically evaluate the statutory and professional requirements and challenges of applying the Mental Capacity Act 2005, as amended in 2009, other relevant legal frameworks and case law to practice as aBest Interests Assessor (BIA).
• critically analyse the theoretical and research evidence base for professional practice in the BIA role, including maintaining personhood in care, working with other professional perspectives and advocacy, contested decision making and ethical and values based practice.
• explore the interpersonal skills required for BIA practice, including engaging people with communication and capacity issues, promoting the assessed person's rights and informing the assessed adult and other lay people of the nature of the BIA role and DoLS in a manner that supports effective ethical, person-centred practice.
• identify how discrimination and oppression can affect decision making with diverse people who may lack mental capacity to make decisions and need restrictive care to keep themselves safe and explore strategies for ensuring that the principles of best interests and less restrictive decision making are kept at the heart of BIA practice.
• evidence professional autonomy and the development of evidence informed arguments in decision-making and writing required assessments and reports in the formation of an appropriately assertive professional BIA identity, at an interprofessional and organisational level.

Entry requirements

The Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards statute states that to undertake Best Interests Assessor training, participants must be either be a:

• social worker registered with Social Work England or Social Care Wales
• an approved Mental Health Professional
• a first level nurse, registered in Sub-Part 1 of the Nurses' Part of the Register maintained under article 5 of the Nursing and Midwifery Order 2001
• an occupational therapist registered in Part 6 of the register maintained under article 5 of the Health Professions Order 2001
• a chartered psychologist who is listed in the British Psychological Society's Register of Chartered Psychologists and who holds a relevant practising certificate issued by that Society.

You must also:

• have at least two years post registration experience in that profession
• not be suspended from the register or list relevant to their profession.