Program Overview

Overview

This course provides the opportunity for health and social care professionals to become Best Interests Assessors (BIA) under the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (Mental Capacity Act 2005). It will assist you in developing the skills and knowledge required, as defined by the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards regulations, to competently perform the role of a BIA.

Teaching and Assessment

You will be taught through a series of lectures and independent guided study, which will be supported by the University’s virtual learning environment.

• Assessment will include a Best Interest Assessor assessment and a critical analysis.
• Your module specification/course handbook will provide full details of the assessment criteria applying to your course.

Key Information

Entry Requirements

Entry requirements for this course are normally to:

• Possess a degree or an equivalent qualification. If you do not possess a degree but have relevant experience, you may be required to undertake preparatory work to demonstrate your ability to study at postgraduate level.
• Be a Health or Social Care Practitioner.
• Have at least two years' post-registration experience.
• Have relevant experience within a Health or Social Care setting.
• Meet the professional criteria as set out in the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.
• Have successfully completed the Mental Capacity and Mental Disorder course, unless you have an Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP) qualification.

Start Dates

• 13 April 2026

Duration

• 6 weeks, part-time
• Credits: 15 Masters level credits
• Code: HMS1060

Fees and Finance

• Tuition Fees - part-time: In 2025/26 the part-time tuition fee for UK postgraduate students on this course will be £660 (Band 1) per 15 credit module and £1,320 (Band 1) per 30 credit module.
• Tuition fees for UK students will cover the cost of your study at the University. For more information about funding, fees and finance for UK students, including what your tuition fee covers, please see our Fees and Finance.

Career Support

This course may help you expand your career path through becoming a Best Interest Assessor. It will also assist you in meeting the specialist skills and post registration development requirements stipulated by your employer/professional regulator.

Research Excellence

• Our researchers carry out work that makes a real difference to people's lives:
  • We are in the top 50 UK universities for Research Power.
  • Three quarters of all our research is world leading and internationally excellent.
  • Over 60% of our research environment was classified as world leading and internationally excellent, especially in Music, Biological Sciences, Architecture and Built Environment, Social Work and Social Policy, History and Communication and Media Studies.

Student Support

At the University of Huddersfield, you'll find support networks and services to help you get ahead in your studies and social life. Whether you study at undergraduate or postgraduate level, you'll soon discover that you're never far away from our dedicated staff and resources to help you to navigate through your personal student journey.

Important Information

When you enrol as a student of the University, your study and time with us will be governed by our terms and conditions, Handbook of Regulations and associated policies. It is important that you familiarise yourself with these as you will be asked to agree to them when you join us as a student. You will find a guide to the key terms here, along with the Student Protection Plan.

Although we always try and ensure we deliver our courses as described, sometimes we may have to make changes for the following reasons:

• Changes to a course you have applied for but are not yet enrolled on
• Changes to your course after you enrol as a student
  • Changes to option modules
  • Major changes
  • In exceptional circumstances, we may, for reasons outside of our control, be forced to discontinue or suspend your course. Where this is the case, a formal exit strategy will be followed in accordance with the student protection plan.

The Office for Students (OfS) is the principal regulator for the University.

You may also be interested in...

Mental Capacity and Mental Disorder

• Part-time
• Postgraduate
• Develop a critical understanding of the Mental Health Act 1983 and The Mental Capacity Act 2005.

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