Rita Panayides

Rita Panayides is dual qualified as a social worker and learning disability nurse with over 20 years’ experience in adult social work at frontline and management levels, including managing the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) team at Hertfordshire County Council for four years.

Rita is course tutor on the best interests assessor (BIA) training programme and a visiting lecturer on the approved mental health professional (AMHP) training programme at the University of Hertfordshire.

She is currently a practising BIA and AMHP. Rita also acts as a specialist advisor on the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and DoLS for the Care Quality Commission.