Mental Capacity Act Practitioner Band 6

Job details

• Branch: Trustwide (SEHSCT)
• Location: UH, Main Building
• Salary: Band 6 (£38,682 - £46,580)
• Contract Type: Permanent
• Opening Date: 04/06/26
• Closes: Thu, 18 June 2026 @ 5:30 PM
• Interview Dates: To be confirmed.

Notes

Important Information If you are submitting a manual application, please post it to: Recruitment Shared Services, Rosewood Villa, Longstone Hospital Site, 73 Loughgall Road, Armagh, BT61 7PR. Applications received after the advertised closing date/time cannot be considered, so please allow enough time for postage. “A waiting list may be created for similar posts that may arise while the waiting list is live, this may include temporary or part-time posts. This will be managed in line with the updated HSC waiting list principles effective from 1 April 2026”. Where a part-time waiting list is required, one part-time waiting list will be created- regardless of any specific hours advertised, this waiting list will cover all future vacancies where part-time posts arise. A part-time post is defined as any post that has less than 37.5 hours per week.” Please remember to save or print a copy of the job description before submitting your application, as it will not be accessible afterwards. Flexible Working We welcome flexible working requests from day one. All HSC organisations offer a range of flexible working options. The options available for this post will depend on the requirements of the role. Find out more about flexible working options on our website.

JOB DESCRIPTION

JOB TITLE

MCA Practitioner (Mental Capacity Act)

BAND

Band 6

DIRECTORATE

INITIAL LOCATION

Adult Services

Ulster Hospital

REPORTS TO

Band 7 Senior Practitioner/MCA Senior Management Team

ACCOUNTABLE TO

Assistant Director, MCA

Job Summary

This employment opportunity in the Mental Capacity Act Service in South Eastern HSC Trust is open to professionally qualified nursing, social work, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy or psychology staff.

The post holder will be responsible for the provision of high quality deprivation of liberty safeguards (DoLS) and Mental Capacity Act interventions to service users and their families. The post holder will be expected to provide training, support, and professional advice and complete work relevant to MCA legislation in community/hospital settings.

There will be a requirement to apply DoLS on a 7-day week basis and therefore the South Eastern Trust will be required to respond to this need when it arises. Post holders will be expected to manage their work autonomously, but with support as required from senior practitioners/senior management.

The post holder will hold a caseload of persons who lack capacity and are deprived of their liberty. The caseload will be specialist and will relate specifically to the Mental Capacity Act. The post holder will be required to liaise closely with all services across the Trust. Responsibilities will include the ability to demonstrate enhanced levels of practice, competence/skills in areas such as direct practice with individuals and families, multi-agency and multi-disciplinary working, user and carer involvement, and demonstrate knowledge of organisational systems and processes and the wider social policy context. The post holder will be required to ensure his/her professional development through training, supervision and learning in order to maintain professional registration.

As the Mental Capacity Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 through phases of implementation, the post holder will contribute to the collective leadership approach throughout the Trust in support of all implementation planning. The postholder will be required to work across all MCA teams if required.

The Post holder will be expected to work in close collaboration with colleagues across the Trust and the region to ensure continuity in the delivery of MCA work, particularly where timescales or other targets require to be achieved.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

Service Delivery

Keep abreast of relevant national/regional legislation and guidance in relation to MCA Practice and policy development

Complete online (Encompass/Sharepoint) assessments required for DoLS Authorisations – Trust Panel Authorisations, Short Term Detention Authorisations, Extensions, Section 50 reports, Court reports and other MCA legislative requirements.

Complete reports to the Review Tribunal and attend Review Tribunal oral hearings where necessary.

Provide guidance to Trust staff in the completion of statements / reports in relation to MCA and assessing the information provided to ensure that is comprehensive.

Have the ability to work on several tasks simultaneously and to review and reprioritise workload to accommodate continually changing priorities

Direct practice with service users and their families

Engage in direct practice with individuals and families including co-working with other practitioners, as required.

Engage in direct work with service services and families to support and enable function specific choices and decisions, including best interests decision making.

Undertake specific roles in discharging statutory responsibilities and implementing policies and procedures, including participation in and application of MCA DoLS.

Engage in direct work with service users and families in relation to delivering Adult Protection functions, as appropriate, to support and protect adults from harm through abuse, exploitation and neglect.

Liaise with other programmes of care, professionals and agencies, as appropriate.

Maintain accurate and up to date written and computerised records and statistical returns.

Engage families and care homes in information sessions about MCA and DoLS.

Facilitation, consultation and practice development

Access and participate in, as appropriate, research and other developmental activity relevant to improving standards of practice.

Participate in adult safeguarding training and development at the direction of the team lead

Participate in the development of Trust-wide evidence based practice in relation to MCA

Promote high standards of professional practice.

Promote and contribute to continuous quality improvement.

Liaise with relevant statutory, voluntary and independent sector organisations.

7 To assist in the induction of staff, as appropriate

8. To participate in professional supervision with line manager.

9. To maintain a high level of professional self-development through training & supervision, learning and research.

10. Will carry out any other duties as required

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

The post holder will be required to

7. Ensure the Trust’s policy on equality of opportunity is promoted through his/her own actions and those of any staff for whom he/she has responsibility.

8. Co-operate fully with the implementation of the Trust's Health and Safety arrangements, reporting any accidents/incidents/equipment defects to his/her manager, and maintaining a clean, uncluttered and safe environment for patients/clients, members of the public and staff.

9. Adhere at all times to all Trust policies/codes of conduct, including for example

• Smoke Free policy

• IT Security Policy and Code of Conduct

• standards of attendance, appearance and behaviour

10. Contribute to ensuring the highest standards of environmental cleanliness within your designated area of work.

11. Co-operate fully with regard to Trust policies and procedures relating to infection prevention and control.

12. All employees of the South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust are legally responsible for all records held, created or used as part of their business within the South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust including patients/clients, corporate and administrative records whether paper-based or electronic and also including emails. All such records are public records and are accessible to the general public, with limited exceptions, under the Freedom of Information act 2000 the Environmental Information Regulations 2004, the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. Employees are required to be conversant with the [org name] policy and procedures on records management and to seek advice if in doubt.

13. Take responsibility for his/her own ongoing learning and development, in order to maximise his/her potential and continue to meet the demands of the post.

14 Represent the Trust’s commitment to providing the highest possible standard of service to patients/clients and members of the public, by treating all those with whom he/she comes into contact in the course of work, in a pleasant, courteous and respectful manner.

This Job Description will be subject to review in the light of changing circumstances and is not intended to be rigid and inflexible but should be regarded as providing guidelines within which the individual works. Other duties of a similar nature and appropriate to the grade may be assigned from time to time.

It is a standard condition that all Trust staff may be required to serve at any location within the Trust's area, as needs of the service demand.

eHealth

The South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust has invested in eHealth to deliver better, faster, safer care to our community and is committed to supporting staff to utilise associated information systems that directly and indirectly inform care. Trust staff are therefore required to commit sufficient time to ensure that they acquire and/or retain the core technology skills required to support their role.

Personal and Public Involvement (PPI)

Staff members are expected to involve patients, clients, carers and the wider community were relevant, in developing, planning and delivering our services in a meaningful and effective way, as part of the Trust’s ongoing commitment to Personal and Public Involvement (PPI).

Please use the link below to access the PPI standards leaflet for further information. PPI_leaflet.pdf (hscni.net)

PERSONNEL SPECIFICATION

JOB TITLE AND BAND

MCA Practitioner (Mental Capacity Act) Band 6

DIRECTORATE

Adult Services

SALARY

Band 6

HOURS

37.5 hours per week

Ref no: 55569820

Notes to applicants

You must clearly demonstrate on your application form under each question, how you meet the required criteria as failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted. You should clearly demonstrate this for both the essential and desirable criteria.

Shortlisting will be carried out on the basis of the essential criteria set out in Section 1 below, using the information provided by you on your application form. Please note the Trust reserves the right to use any desirable criteria outlined in Section 3 at shortlisting. You must clearly demonstrate on your application form how you meet the desirable criteria.

Proof of qualifications and/or professional registration will be required if an offer of employment is made – if you are unable to provide this, the offer may be withdrawn.

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA

SECTION 1: The following are ESSENTIAL criteria which will initially be measured at shortlisting stage although may also be further explored during the interview/selection stage. You should therefore make it clear on your application form whether or not you meet these criteria. Failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted. The stage in the process when the criteria will be measured is stated below.

Factor

Criteria

Method of Assessment

Experience

Have a minimum of two years’ experience in a professional role, working with persons who lack capacity.

Have completed or be willing to complete within one month of appointment or at the next available date, MCA training up to Level 4b.

Shortlisting by Application Form

Qualifications/ Registration

Hold a Degree or Professional Qualification or equivalent in Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Social Work, Psychology or Speech and Language Therapy and be registered with the relevant professional body.

Shortlisting by Application Form

Other

Hold a current full driving licence, which is valid for use in the UK, and have access to a car on appointment. This criteria will be waived in the case of applicants whose disability prohibits driving but who have access to a form of transport approved by the Trust which will permit them to carry out the duties of the post

Shortlisting by Application Form

SECTION 2: The following are ESSENTIAL criteria which will be measured during the interview/ selection stage:

Skills/ Abilities

Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Report writing skills

Assessment skills

IT System skills

Ability to adhere to strict deadlines and prioritise work

Ability to work autonomously

Interview

Knowledge

Knowledge of

Mental Capacity Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS)

Use of information systems in the delivery of health and social care.

Interview

DESIRABLE CRITERIA

SECTION 3: these will ONLY be used where it is necessary to introduce additional job related criteria to ensure files are manageable. You should therefore make it clear on your application form how you meet these criteria. Failure to do so may result in you not being shortlisted

Factor

Criteria

Method of Assessment

Experience

Experience of undertaking Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) assessments

Shortlisting by Application Form

Qualifications

Evidence of undertaking post-qualifying training.

Shortlisting by Application Form

As part of the Recruitment & Selection process it may be necessary for the Trust to carry out an Enhanced Disclosure Check through Access NI before any appointment to this post can be confirmed.

To access a copy of the Access NI Code of Practice, please Click here

The South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust has guidance on the Recruitment of People with Criminal Convictions. To access a copy of this guidance, please Click Here

Protecting and using your information

To access a copy of the Trust’s Data Protection Policy Statement,

Click Here

THE TRUST IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES EMPLOYER

Successful applicants

may be required to attend for a Health Assessment

can expect to be placed at the minimum point of the pay scale, although a higher starting salary, within the range of the pay band may be available if the person appointed has experience relevant & equivalent to the post. Request for recognition of previous service with non-direct NHS/HSC organisations towards starting salary and incremental credit must be made via the Retained Recruitment team within 3 months from commencement of employment. Requests made after 3 months will not be considered. If the successful candidate is an existing HSC employee moving to a higher band, AfC Pay on Promotion will apply.

are able to request Flexible Working from the 1st day of their employment. A number of flexible working provisions are offered by all HSC Organisations including Full-time working, Fixed working patterns, Part-time working, Flexi-time, Compressed/elongated hours, Average hours working patterns, Term-time working, Job-share or Homeworking for some or all of the working pattern, depending on the role being undertaken. Successful applicants are encouraged to discuss with their manager what Flexible Working provisions may be available in the role they are taking up, prior to commencing employment, to help them achieve a positive Work/Life Balance