Adults - Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards DOLS Coordinator

The starting salary for this role is £ £31,262 per annum based on a 36-hour working week.

We are excited to be hiring a new Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DOLS) Coordinator to join our fantastic Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards Team. The team is county-wide, based at Quadrant Court; however, there is an opportunity to work flexibly, including from your own home and at other Surrey County Council offices. The role would suit someone who has experience of working in either social care or health services.

This is a 24-month fixed term / secondment opportunity.

Rewards and Benefits

• 26 days' holiday (prorated for part time staff), rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 30 days after 5 years' service
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• An extensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Up to 5 days of carer's leave per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more
• 2 paid volunteering days plus 1 team volunteering day per year
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources

About the Team

The team consists of administrative staff, DOLS Coordinators Best Interest Assessors and Senior Practitioner Specialist Leads who work collaboratively together to ensure that the objectives of the team are achieved. In doing so, there is an established ethos of supporting each other and team working, as well as working independently. This role offers a fantastic opportunity to further develop your understanding and experience of the Mental Capacity Act and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, and you will be helping to support MCA practice across adult social care in Surrey. Furthermore, you will receive regular supervision, reflective practice sessions and annual BIA legal update training as part of your role.

About the Role

The DOLS provisions of the Mental Capacity Act provide a legal framework for individuals who lack capacity to be deprived of their liberty for the purpose of care and treatment whilst in care homes and hospitals. Working in our DOLS Team, you will gain valuable experience of working alongside our Best Interest Assessors, with a unique opportunity to develop an awareness and understanding of the Mental Capacity Act and the DOLS legal framework.

The role will include assisting with the processing and triaging of DOLS authorisation requests, appointing Mental Health Assessors and Best Interest Assessors, assisting with the quality assurance of documents received and communicating with providers and other professionals.

Shortlisting Criteria

To be considered for shortlisting for this position, your application will clearly evidence the following:

• 5 GCSEs at Grade C or above, or equivalent
• Competent with a range of IT systems
• Good written and communication skills with the ability to work with others to provide excellent customer services
• Ability to use your initiative and be confident in prioritising and planning your own workload
• Committed to working in partnership within the service, with other social care teams and with external partners
• Have an understanding of the DOLS provisions of the MCA or be willing to learn.

Contact us

Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment.

For an informal discussion please contact Liz Lawson by telephone at

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 07/04/2024 with interviews planned for 15/04/2024.

Our Commitment

Surrey County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. A guaranteed interview will be offered to all disabled applications where:

• The candidate has evidenced the minimum criteria for the role through their application
• The candidate has chosen to share that they have a disability on the application form

Our application form and onboarding process will provide an opportunity to request any reasonable adjustments for the interview and/or the role. We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all underrepresented groups.