Advocate - Social Care & Education

What's involved with this role:
Interim Advocate - Social Care & Education
Reference no: Merton 5246174
Pay rate: Up to £43.63 per hour PAYE depending on experience
Hours per week: 35 Monday to Friday, normal working hours
This opening assignment is for 7-8 months
City: MORDEN, London
An Advocate is required to work in the Social Care & Education Team dealing with Childcare hearing cases. A good knowledge and experience of advocacy and attending hearings on behalf of the SLLP is required. The advocate will be required to attend up to 5 day court hearings at the London Family Courts.
Key responsibilities:
Responsible for the provision of advocacy in complex contested child care proceedings, including representation at short notice in emergency hearings, ensuring that work is reflective of best practice, is of a high professional standard and is cost effective.
Develop and obtain knowledge in Special Education Needs Tribunals and Adult Social Care and be responsible for the provision of advocacy if appropriate.
Enter complex negotiations, provide innovative, creative advice to clients in a pressurised environment.
Prepare and process the more complex and sensitive documents relevant to care proceedings before all levels of court, including the evaluation of evidence and to provide advice and guidance in respect of complex areas of law and practice to other team members and client departments as appropriate.
Advise on the Department’s statutory duties and powers relating to children including dealing with: Judicial review claims, access to records and Data Protection, immigration issues, complaints issues and procedures, criminal injuries compensation and child protection.
Advise on complex policies and procedures relating to the Councils’ child care functions.
Support the Practice Lead and Team Manager, Social Care and Education in maintaining liaison with senior managers in the client departments.
Act as a liaison with the local judiciary and family justices (magistrates) in relation to local practice and changes in policy/procedure.
NB: Please feel free to apply to us direct via jobs@tclrec.com by quoting the job reference and job title exactly.
To help speed up the process of uploading your CV to the client we would suggest that you send us your CV in Word format (or equivalent) if possible, rather than as a PDF
If you are successful in securing this role, please note that for the entire duration of this contract, regardless of extension you will be working this role at the PAYE rate that has been advertised. For absolute clarity, we only work on a PAYE basis, rather than entertaining umbrella pay terms, we do not offer Ltd/umbrella or outside IR35 rates. If you wish to understand PAYE vs Umbrella more, please let us know and we can send you some additional information for clarity.
Please quote the Job Title & Vacancy Reference No. in your application, or we will be unable to match your CV to the role being applied for.
Other “Essential Requirements” – Please check to ensure that your CV addresses the following items:
Qualifications:
Qualified barrister or Solicitor with higher rights of audience.
Experience & Knowledge:
A good knowledge and experience of advocacy and attending hearings on behalf of the SLLP is required.
Experience and ability in working closely with other advocates and in a team to ensure service is delivered to the highest standard.
Significant experience of undertaking advocacy at all levels of court including higher court advocacy, including contested hearings requiring the cross examination of witnesses in court.
Specialist knowledge of English law and practice in relation to child protection and adoption. An ability to acquire and maintain knowledge in relation to community care and education.
Awareness of current issues relevant to local authorities, ability to assist in delivering the Council’s corporate objectives and to operate effectively within a corporate context.
Skills & Abilities:
Highly developed negotiating and listening skills with various groups of people and in a variety of different settings, including some of which may potentially end in conflict.
Excellent research and problem-solving skills with ability to convey complex legal and factual issues to various audiences.
Excellent research and IT skills including the ability to use a case management system.
Excellent customer care skills.
Excellent communication skills both written and verbal.
Excellent presentation skills.
Good numeracy and analytical skills.
Ability to use expert legal opinion to provide practical and innovative solutions to complex legal, contractual and service delivery issues.
Ability to travel to client offices and courts wherever the client’s case is being considered.
Able to work outside of normal office hours and at various locations within and outside the Borough as required by the needs of the service.
***Qualification details and any other experience/skills relevant to the job role to help support your application (and help us to help you!) – please give full details within your CV document.
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Job Ref: Merton 5246174
Anticipated Length of Assignment: Unless otherwise stated (we do carry the occasional permanent vacancy) all of our roles are technically temporary, though opening assignments can be and often are, extended by clients on a longer term basis and can sometimes become permanent.
Please do try to resist contacting us with requests for progress updates.
We really do read every CV sent to us. All applications will be acknowledged by a human, not a robot, provided the job remains live and provided your CV meets the “Essential Requirements” listed.
Please note that we do our level best to take down ads as soon as roles have been filled. We are not in the business of harvesting CVs.
Important: We will interpret your application as being permission to submit your CV to this role (with the right to represent you) unless you advise us to the contrary.