Community care / Court of Protection Solicitor
Whitechapel
£40,000-£45,000 DOE
Full-Time Permanent
Benefits:
* Bonus scheme
* Health Cashback Plan
* Wellbeing initiatives
* Friends and Family discount on legal services
* Comprehensive training, supervision and support
* Career development programme
* Cycle to work scheme and cycle storage
* Staff forums and committees
* 25 days holiday up to 30 days after 5 years’ service plus birthday day holiday
* Length of service awards
* Flexible and Hybrid working
Our client is looking for someone with at least one year of post-qualification experience who ideally can represent their clients across a range of community care and Court of Protection work. You will be working with colleagues specialising in housing and public law and who are recommended in the Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners.
A passion for access to justice and have good knowledge of the legal aid scheme is needed. You will also be working for clients with a range of needs, some of whom are in very vulnerable situations such as facing eviction or a lack of community care services.
Key Responsibilities as Community care/Court of Protection Solicitor:
* Carrying out all allotted casework, promptly and efficiently.
* Analysing legal matters and advising clients of appropriate course of action.
* Communicating clearly and regularly with clients and complying with ’client care’ requirements.
* Dealing with all routine correspondence, negotiations and advocacy, where appropriate.
* Ensuring that time spent on all casework is promptly recorded and on conclusion of cases that they are billed and payment is recorded promptly.
* To ensure, where any part of the work within the department is funded by the Legal Aid Agency that requirements are met.
* Keeping up-to-date with general legal developments, particularly relating to own specialist field(s).
* Undertaking appropriate administrative tasks in accordance with the Office Manual to help to ensure smooth functioning of department and efficient casework and billing.
* Providing supervision where appropriate and/or reporting to supervisors when supervision required.
Key Requirements:
* At least one year of post-qualification experience of working on a full range of community care and/or Court of Protection law (including challenging assessments and care plans, ensuring that local authorities comply with their safeguarding duties, identifying judicial review challenges and potential Court of Protection cases, acting for "P" via a litigation friend or family members in Court of Protection proceedings in relation to P’s welfare)
* Ability to communicate effectively with the firm’s client group
* Excellent oral and telephone skills
* Ability to prioritise and work efficiently under pressure
* Excellent written communications skills
* Problem-solving ability
* Experience of working to targets
* Excellent IT Skills
* Commitment to our client group in connection with maintaining access to justice
* Current Practising Certificate
* Experience of Legal Aid funding and using CCMS
* Experience of privately-funded work
Disclaimer: Due to the high amount of interest that we receive for each of our roles, unfortunately we cannot respond to each application individually, therefore if you do not hear back from one of our consultants within 14 days then unfortunately you have not been shortlisted for this role.