Level 7 Best Interests Assessor (BIA) (Level 7, 15 Credits)
- Course type
- Single Module
- Course qualification
- Level 7
Course summary
What is the fee?
For all course options, see fees and funding
Where will I study?
Frederick Road campus, MediaCity campus
How long will I study?
Part-time: 4 weeks
Overview
Deprivation of liberty decisions are among the most legally and ethically demanding you will ever make. This course prepares you to make them with confidence.
On this course you will develop advanced legal literacy in the Mental Capacity Act 2005, Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), the Human Rights Act 1998 and current case law, and learn to apply it to the messy realities of practice.
What makes this course different is how you learn. Rather than learning at a distance or entirely online, you learn face to face in Greater Manchester across six taught days, with online tutorial support and a dedicated assessment day. You will practise in our simulation suite, complete a Best Interests Assessment Form and be observed by both academics and people with lived experience, rehearsing defensible practice before you are accountable for it.
You will be taught by a multi-disciplinary team including practicing Best Interest Assessors and leading experts in the field, whose research includes best interests and DoLS decision-making. People with lived experience and carers help shape teaching, assessment and case material, so the person at the centre of the assessment is never abstract.
This course is approved by Social Work England.
You will:
- Apply the Mental Capacity Act 2005, DoLS, Human Rights Act 1998 and case law to complex real-world decisions.
- Complete a full simulated Best Interests Assessment and associated paperwork, observed by academics and people with lived experience.
- Shadow experienced Best Interest Assessors in practice through our partnership agreements with Greater Manchester local authorities.
- Write structured, evidence-based assessments and reports that withstand legal scrutiny and challenge.
- Communicate confidently with people with complex needs, families, carers, IMCAs and multidisciplinary professionals.
- Develop anti-oppressive, human rights-based judgement, balancing autonomy and protection with resilience and accountability.
Course accreditations
This is for you if...
You are a registered social worker, nurse, occupational therapist or psychologist ready to take on the Best Interests Assessor role
You want a Level 7 qualification aligned to Social Work England's Best Interests Assessor standards
You are seeking career progression into DoLS or safeguarding roles across Greater Manchester and beyond
How you'll learn
Future careers
Completing this course qualifies you to practice as a Best Interests Assessor, a statutory role that only trained professionals can undertake. Because every deprivation of liberty authorisation depends on that qualification, employers across Greater Manchester and beyond actively seek it.
Most people who qualify continue in their existing profession with the Best Interests Assessor role added to their practice, often attracting additional responsibility. Others move into dedicated Best Interests Assessor roles or teams. You can also add the qualification as an annotation on your Social Work England registration.
Typical employers include Greater Manchester local authorities, NHS trusts, integrated care boards, and independent advocacy and care providers.
This course also builds toward further progression. As a Level 7 module, it can support later postgraduate study, including our MSc and PhD routes, and compliments pathways such as Approved Mental Health Professional or Practice Educator training.
Modules
This course is made up of a single 15-credit module at Level 7, studied over one trimester.
Teaching is delivered in three two-day blocks across three consecutive weeks, followed by an assessment week. You can begin in January or April.
Modules
Best Interests Assessment: Law, Ethics and Practice
This module develops the legal literacy, assessment skill and professional judgement you need to practice as a Best Interest Assessor. You examine the Mental Capacity Act 2005, DoLS, the Human Rights Act 1998 and case law defining deprivation of liberty, and apply them to necessity, proportionality and best interests decisions. You build communication skills for working with people with complex needs, families, advocates and IMCAs, and consider how race, disability, class and age shape assessment outcomes. Teaching includes a mental capacity barrister, a DoLS lead and people with lived experience. You will be assessed by simulation and professional conversation.
Please note that exact modules and content offered may vary in order to keep content current and, for courses that offer optional modules, may depend on the number of students selecting particular options. When accepting your offer of a place to study on a programme with optional modules, you should be aware that optional modules may not all run each year. Your tutor will be able to advise you as to the available options on or before the start of the programme. Whilst the University tries to ensure that you can undertake your preferred options, it cannot guarantee this.
Entry requirements
This course is for experienced health and social care practitioners who are ready to take on one of the most legally demanding roles in adult social care.
You will be a registered social worker, first level nurse, occupational therapist or chartered psychologist with at least two years' post-registration experience. You are likely to be working in adult social care, mental health, learning disability, dementia, hospital or safeguarding services, and to have already encountered capacity and deprivation of liberty questions in your day-to-day practice.
You will bring curiosity about law, ethics and human rights, and confidence in working with uncertainty. You are comfortable holding difficult conversations with people, families and professionals who disagree, and you are willing to have your reasoning tested. Most importantly, you want to be the kind of assessor whose decisions protect people's rights and withstand scrutiny.
To join this course you must be eligible to carry out best interests assessments under the Mental Capacity (Deprivation of Liberty: Standard Authorisations, Assessments and Ordinary Residence) Regulations 2008. You will need:
- Current registration in one of the eligible professions: a social worker registered with Social Work England, a first level nurse registered with the NMC, an occupational therapist registered with the HCPC, or a chartered psychologist holding a current practising certificate. Approved Mental Health Professionals are also eligible
- At least two years' post-registration experience
- Nomination by your employer, normally a local authority
- Employer support to complete supervised shadowing of a qualified Best Interest Assessor during this course
- A satisfactory DBS check, verified through our onboarding process alongside your qualifications and registration
On receiving nomination from your Local Authority employer, you will be asked to complete an application form from the University.
Should you wish to discuss your application, please speak with your Local Authority DoLS Lead in the first instance, or if you would like to know more about the course please email: undergradsocialwork-enquiries@salford.ac.uk or Simone Litvaitis, S.L.Litvaitis@salford.ac.uk.
Entry Requirements
Undergraduate Studies
This course is a standalone Level 7 module for qualified professionals. You will already hold a degree-level professional qualification in social work, nursing, occupational therapy or psychology, together with current registration with the relevant regulator.
International Applicants
The Best Interest Assessor role is a statutory role in England, and you can only practice once you are selected by an English supervisory body, normally a local authority. Because this course is a 15-credit standalone module rather than a full-time programme, it is not eligible for Student visa sponsorship. If you qualified outside the UK, you are welcome to apply once you hold current registration with a UK regulator, have at least two years' post-registration experience, and are working in or nominated by an organisation in England.
English Language Requirements
International applicants will be required to show a proficiency in English. An IELTS score of 6.0 (with no element below 5.5) is proof of this.
Fees and funding
2026/27
| Type of study | Fees |
|---|---|
| Part-time | £780 |
2027/28
| Type of study | Fees |
|---|---|
| Part-time | £805 |
2028/29
| Type of study | Fees |
|---|---|
| Full-time | £795 per year |
Additional costs
You should also consider further costs which may include books, stationery, printing, binding and general subsistence on trips and visits.
How to apply
Still have any questions? Register for one of our Open Days or contact us: