The College of Social Work has raised concerns about the quality of training provided to best interests assessors (BIAs). BIAs, who are often social workers, play a crucial role under the
deprivation of liberty safeguards, in deciding whether people have been deprived of their liberty in care homes or hospital and whether this is in their best interests. Earlier today, I spoke to Elmari Bishop, the College's media spokesperson on Dols, who is a BIA trainer, to get an idea of what the issues are with the current system.
It's not about the number of days
Initial training for BIAs involves a three-to-five day course, run by a provider accredited for post-qualifying training by the General Social Care Council. From the list of approved PQ providers, the Department of Health selects those it sees as being fit to deliver BIA training.
However, while the College contrasted BIA training with the three-month full-time training programme provided to approved mental health professionals (AMHPs), Bishop said the issue was one of quality not quantity.
"The quality of training is variable," she told me. The BIA role involves making incredibly complex decisions requiring knowledge of the Dols code of practice and case law and fine judgements. However, she said, a number of BIAs came out of their courses without the required skills and understanding.
Course accreditation
The GSCC says there are no national standards for BIA training, in contrast to the AMHP role.
The GSCC is due to be abolished in July after which the Department of Health will be fully responsible for deciding on who provides BIA training. The College is trying to shape the future of BIA training with a view to getting involved in standard setting and accreditation.
For Bishop, this needs to result in a toughening up of standards in this area.
Lack of practice
Unlike AMHPs, who are on duty regularly, BIAs may go for long periods without conducting an assessment, meaning their skills and knowledge are not put into practice, Bishop said.
Lack of refresher training
Again, unlike AMHPs, who have to undergo 18 hours of refresher training a year, there is no set requirement for BIAs (though they are expected to have some). It's up to the councils or primary care trusts who employ them to decide how much training they receive. Bishop said she thought some minimum requirement would be helpful, pointing out that those councils who did invest in training reaped the dividends in terms of their BIAs' knowledge and decision-making.
As we have reported before, Dols is a very complex area but one whose implications for adults with dementia or severe learning disabilities are profound. Let's hope that progress can be made in improving training for this group of professionals who have such a significant role to play in the process.
(Blog updated 22 Feb 5pm)
