Elizabeth Howard

Actively recruit and retain members, lead and support BASW England branch development and influence social work policy, practice and social work education in the field of adult services.

To implement BASWs Vision and country specific work streams.

Influence, develop and support BASW England policy, practice, education and research activities and respond to national and local consultations by working in collaboration with staff, members, England National Standing Committee (NSC), partner organisations and other teams across the Association.

Court of Protection Visitor from 2016- to date

· A statutory role under section 61 of the Mental Capacity Act 2005, where you visit individuals as directed by the Court of Protection.

· Duties include assisting the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) in supervising deputies and investigating concerns, visiting individuals connected with registered, enduring, or lasting powers of attorney, and examining various records such as health, care, and social services records.

· Interview individuals lacking mental capacity in private, gather information to review the performance of deputies against published standards, and produce detailed reports for the OPG. These reports include assessments of the individual's needs, wishes, and best interests, and evaluate how deputies or attorneys manage their affairs to assist the Court of Protection in decision-making.

· Assessing the capacity of protected persons or donors to make certain decisions, consulting with associated agencies, and providing accurate and concise written reports within designated timeframes.

· Liaison with staff in the OPG, liaise with various stakeholders, and provide guidance on the requirements and responsibilities of deputies, donors, and attorneys.

· Maintain and develop your knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act through subscriptions to newsletters, attending webinars and seminars, and facilitating a fortnightly forum for social workers to critically reflect on the application of the MCA and Human Rights Act.

· Commitment to maintaining confidentiality and adhering to GDPR requirements. Meticulous handling of files, data, spreadsheets, and reports.

· Communicate effectively through various means with deputies, agencies, and the OPG.

· This role is multifaceted and requires a high level of expertise, dedication, and continuous learning.

Qualified Best Interest Assessor – 2009 to date

· Provide effective safeguards for members of the public who fall within the remit of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) legislation.

· Providing high quality assessments and advice based on the statutory requirements arising from the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA)

· Ensuring compliance with Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

· Assess the mental capacity and best interests of adults

· Enabling adults who require support to have their views and wishes considered in how they receive support to ensure this promotes their quality of life.

· Strive to uphold people’s dignity and human rights.

· Analyse and evaluate complex evidence and views to ensure best interest decisions are made.

· Working within relevant policies, practises, and procedures

· Responsible for coordinating the DoLS assessment process within statutory timescales.

· Recognising safeguarding concerns and acting in line with local and national policy to improve outcomes for people.

Taking a lead on Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty safeguards development work and Undertaking the role and functions of the Supervisory Body, working as part of the Safeguarding Adults office, responsible for the supervision and support of Best Interests Assessors, quality assuring Practice, providing practice development support and developing and facilitating training to embed

the Mental Capacity Act.

This role had a key focus on the promotion of Human Rights, Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards compliance.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Oversight and management of DOLS processes including allocation of BIA and MHA

Developing tools, guidance and training

Embedding a Human Rights-based approach to service delivery

Support for Best Interest Assessors – including supervision, facilitating development events, de-briefing and discussing individual cases

Supervisory Body processes and paperwork

Providing information for, and attending court to give evidence in legal proceedings.

Liaison with paid rep and IMCA services

Delivering MCA and DOLS training

Audits of Mental Capacity assessments and best interest decisions completed by social work staff

Providing case advice to a range of practitioners across the city

In 2018-19 I took up a secondment opportunity as a National Strategic Engagement Lead for Social Work England the specialist regulator for social workers.

Working at a national level to build relationships and engage with a wide a range of stakeholders, including social workers, people with lived experience of social work, employers, education and training providers and policy departments.

Part of team working on the development of the professional standards and education and training standards.

Cross sector working to develop a new approach to continuous professional development as part of a new regulatory framework for registered social workers.

Engagement and collaboration activity to enable the new regulator to build a rich picture of what was happening in the sector across the country.

Promoting social work values and ethics within the organisation to enable the regulator to stay informed, authentic and collaborative, and firmly rooted in the principles and values that are the foundation of social work practice.