Note: the pay rate is provisional only and will be amended with the confirmed rate once received.
Interim Child Care Advocate
Reference no: Surrey 110185
Pay Rate: up to £37.00 per hour PAYE max (TBC)
Hours: 37 Monday - Friday, normal working hours
This opening assignment is for 9 months.
City: Reigate
The post is court based, but also involves case preparation. The person should be able to work from home and assistance will be given for this (laptop, phone etc).
As a Childcare Advocate, your role is to provide legal advice and representation to the County Council, ensuring high-quality, continuously improving legal services. You will act as an advocate in litigation, representing the County Council in hearings of varying lengths and complexities, handling cases involving significant legal challenges and contributing to the Council’s values and objectives.
Key duties:
1. Represent the County Council as an advocate in childcare-related court proceedings, including complex and High Court cases, ensuring robust legal representation.
2. Oversee cases prepared by team lawyers, managing all aspects of hearings and reporting outcomes to the client and relevant team members.
3. Provide expert legal advice on the quality of evidence, case strength, and technical issues specific to child care proceedings, guiding the team and client effectively.
4. Offer training to Legal Services and clients, ensuring all parties are up-to-date on relevant childcare law and practice.
5. Contribute to achieving Service Plan targets, engage in cross-team projects, and maintain high standards of legal practice in accordance with Lexcel and departmental guidelines.
Key requirements:
1. Solicitor or Barrister, fully qualified to practise in England and Wales and who currently has or who is immediately able to obtain a practising certificate.
2. Excellent knowledge of the rules of evidence and practice within the family courts.
3. A sound understanding of the political and policy context within which care proceedings and children’s services operate both nationally and locally.
4. Expertise in the law and practice relating to public child care law.
5. Recent significant experience of legal practice in public child care law including significant advocacy experience in this area including contested final hearings.
6. Excellent advocacy and research skills.
7. Excellent negotiation skills.
8. Proficient in using IT including Word, Outlook (or equivalent email product) and electronic document management and case management system.
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