Closed Applications (Archive)

OPG- Court of Protection Special Visitor

Body
Office of the Public Guardian
Appointing Department
Ministry of Justice
Sector
Regulation
Location
National
Skills required
Regulation
Number of Vacancies
15-20
Remuneration
Payment is £618 for each completed visit report submitted, plus travel expenses.
Time Requirements
Flexible

Campaign Timeline

  1. Competition Launched

    10/03/2020

  2. Closed for Applications

    20/04/2020 at 12:00

  3. Panel Sift

    TBC

  4. Final Interview Date

    18/05/2020

  5. Announcement

    TBC

Assessment Panel

Panel Member
Chair Matthew Butler
Panel Role
Panel Chair
Positions
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Political Activity-
Notes-
Panel Member
Positions
Independent Member
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Panel Member
Special Medical Visitor
Positions
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Political Activity-
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Vacancy Description

Court of Protection Medical Visitor

The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) supervises deputies who are appointed by the Court of Protection to manage the financial and health and welfare affairs of people who are unable to make decisions due to mental incapacity. OPG also registers lasting powers of attorney and enduring powers of attorney and can investigate the conduct of attorneys and deputies.

As a special visitor for the Court of Protection and OPG you’ll carry out mental capacity assessments of our clients, many of whom are elderly or have an acquired brain injury, mental illness or learning disability.

You’ll assess their degree of mental capacity and help our clients to express their opinions. You’ll then complete comprehensive reports for the Court of Protection and Public Guardian based on your findings. As part of writing reports, you’ll be expected to consult with associated agencies such as social services, residential or nursing care home managers and GP practices. Your reports must be accurate, concise, well written and produced to designated time scales and in accordance with agreed targets and standards. 

You’ll meet your peers annually attending conferences and be appraised at least once every three years.  

As a special visitor, you’ll be engaged on a self-employed basis and be responsible for paying your own tax and national insurance, as well as arranging your own professional and public liability. This position may be combined with other work commitments, paid or unpaid. Special visitors are required to pass an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check. Visits are conducted to tight deadlines and are allocated on a regional basis, although you may occasionally be asked to conduct a visit outside your preferred region. As visits are sometimes in locations not easily accessible by public transport, a driving licence and access to a vehicle is essential.

Due to the nature of the work, it’s not possible to give a precise number of visits you’ll be asked to carry out, but on average, you’ll be expected to complete around 20 visits a year. You’ll also be expected to manage your own caseload and tell OPG about your availability to conduct visits. 

Person Specification

We are seeking registered medical practitioners with a licence to practise, HCPC registered psychologists who are ideally chartered by the British Psychological Society, also psychiatrists who are on the specialty register. Candidates with expertise in assessing people with Neurodevelopment disorders including learning disabilities and autism, Neuropsychiatric disorders and dementia are particularly welcome. You should have expert knowledge of impairment or functioning of the mind or brain, experience in assessing mental capacity and an excellent understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

Additional Information

This is a statutory appointment under Section 61 of the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

Also, our selection process is based on your knowledge of the issues affecting those experiencing mental incapacity and on your interviewing and planning skills, including the ability to produce clear, concise reports.