Legal Jobs
You will provide support to our Cost-of-Living Crisis Clinic Consultant to co-ordinate the efficient service delivery of our busy Cost-of-Living Crisis Clinics, used by clients who need assistance to make successful applications for: welfare benefits; social housing; lower utility and broadband tariffs; and crisis and general grants. You will work with a wide range of people internally and externally, providing support and supervision to volunteer advisers and helping clients.
You will be a confident communicator who will have the right blend and balance of strong administration skills with excellent interpersonal and customer-facing skills and legal knowledge, working for a charity supporting and enhancing the lives of people in the local community.
This role is central to Westway Trust’s commitment to deliver activities and events to the benefit of the North Kensington community. You will also work from and help to co-ordinate the delivery of our Cost-of-Living Crisis Clinic at our outreach site, St Luke’s Community Centre, EC1V.
Key responsibilities of the role include but not limited to:
General Duties
- Being the initial point of contact; receiving calls and emails from clients and referring agencies, , and booking client appointments in an efficient and timely manner
- Setting up and clearing away after Cost-of-Living Crisis Clinic sessions, (currently, Tuesdays, at St Luke’s Community Centre, 90 Central Street, Islington, EC1, and Wednesdays at Westway Trust, 1 Thorpe Close, Ladbroke Grove, W10). Sessions start at 9.00am and finish around 1.00pm
- Meeting, greeting and orienting (showing where the facilities are and H&S guidance) clients and volunteers
- Triaging clients on to our database and referring clients who are out of scope to other relevant organisations
- Assisting clients to complete online and paper forms both face-to-face and remotely
- Liaising in a positive manner with our stakeholders, eg. clients, other teams within Westway Trust, our funder, a City Law firm, and our hosts, Westway Trust and St Luke’s Community Centre
- Responsibility for monitoring our work, completing simple reports, writing case studies, making sure volunteers complete their data entry after advising clients, and running case management statistics using AdvicePro, our case management system) (training on AdvicePro will be provided)
- Recruiting, inducting, training and supervising volunteers both corporate (from the City) and lay (students and local residents)
- Casework; writing up case notes about clients helped
- Attending relevant meetings and training and keeping resources up-to-date
- General administration including: photocopying, scanning and record keeping, and coordinating the general day-to-day activities of the Cost-of-Living Crisis Clinics
- Effectively contributing to make our Cost-of-Living Crisis Clinics high performing in line with the values of Westway Trust
Appeals & Representation Duties
Responsibility for our legal appeals representation service, including:
- Triaging clients, including reading appellant’s hearing bundles to assess the merits of their case
- Case management of appellants’' appeal cases, (ie, smooth management of appellants' cases from inception to post-hearing)
- Attending hearings
- Guiding and case managing lawyers/law students on applications for leave to appeal/set aside to the Upper Tribunal/Judiciary, (from the Lower Tribunal). Full training will be given
Qualifications: You will have or be working towards a law degree or equivalent.
Knowledge and Experience:
- A good understanding of the law in any jurisdiction
- Experience of providing an efficient, customer focused service, with a personable and collaborative approach and ability to provide, develop and maintaining friendly positive relationships with customers, staff, volunteers and other stakeholders
- Good time management and organisational skills
- Excellent administrative skills
- High level of IT skills. Experience of using Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint and database software (we use AdvicePro)
Personal Skills:
- Good people management/awareness skills
- Good communication and presentation skills, orally and in writing.
- Ability to work independently and on own initiative with minimum supervision
- Ability to work as part of a team in a multi-cultural and diverse environment
- An inquisitive mind and good problem solver
- Interest in civil law
- Good memory and research skills
- Demonstrable understanding and commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion
Connections to/understanding of North Kensington or the surrounding area is highly desirable
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Central England Law Centre (CELC) provides a vital service to clients across Coventry and Birmingham, providing support for all aspects of housing law through a team of dedicated solicitors, caseworkers, paralegals and support workers.
This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced caseworker or solicitor to join the team, supporting our clients across Birmingham in the delivery of casework through the Law Centre’s Legal Aid contract.
The successful candidate will be subject to a basic DBS check.
Responsibilities
With responsibility for a caseload of clients across Birmingham, the successful candidate will:
- Advise clients on all aspects of housing law through face-to-face and telephone appointments
- Undertake casework and represent clients at court as appropriate
- Liaise with the Legal Aid Agency in respect of funding applications and claims
- Complete public funding forms via CCMS and paper applications where appropriate
- Promptly cost and bill closed cases in order to meet individual and team targets
Person Specification
- A solicitor or caseworker with proven experience of the delivery of casework through a legal aid contract
- A demonstrable commitment to social justice
- The ability to work sympathetically and effectively with a wide variety of clients
- Experience of advocating for clients in court and with other agencies
- Demonstrable knowledge and understanding of legal aid eligibility requirements and legal aid applications
About CELC:
A fairer, more just society in which an understanding of rights and their power is embedded within communities.
Central England Law Centre is the UK’s largest Law Centre. Our size enables us to provide legal expertise across eight different areas of social welfare law including: discrimination; employment; health and social care; housing; immigration and asylum; public law; and welfare benefits. This means that we can offer services that can address all of the interconnected problems people face in their everyday lives.
Our services are rooted in the communities we serve and we are an organisation that uses its legal expertise to improve the lives of those who are often vulnerable and socially excluded due to poverty, illness or disability.
What we offer:
- 37-hour working week;
- Flexible working hours and a hybrid working arrangement;
- 28 days holiday (rising by 1 day per year of service to 35 days after 5 years of service) plus 8 statutory days;
- Pension scheme membership;
- Access to an employee assistance programme;
Closing date: 12pm on the 15th May 2024
Interviews will be held in week commencing: 20th or 27th May 2024
This role is an opportunity for a Paralegal to join a large in-house legal team and work on a broad range of matters. It will specifically involve supporting the Agreements, Information and Disputes (AID) team within legal services, consisting of five lawyers.
The successful candidate will be required to work across areas of law including but not limited to information law, contracts, intellectual property, procurement, subsidy and state aid, insolvency, recoveries and public law. In addition to providing research, drafting and general support to the Fund’s lawyers, it is expected that the Paralegal will handle matters under supervision and use legal knowledge to improve the Fund’s internal processes and precedents.
The bulk of the Paralegal’s workload will consist of legal support work however the candidate will also be expected to perform some administrative tasks and cover for the team’s administrative officer when required.
Experience working in a fast paced in-house or private practice environment would be ideal with legal research and IT literacy an advantage. Knowledge of insolvency and debt recovery would be desirable.
Interview Date: Week commencing 13th May
Location: The role can be based at any of our UK offices, these are Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff, Exeter, Glasgow, Leeds, London, Newcastle and Newtown. The role does not include any line management responsibilities. We have a hybrid approach to working - work pattern and location will be agreed with the successful candidate.
On application, please align your supporting statement to the criteria below
Essential criteria
- Strong academic background with a law degree or undergraduate degree and law conversion qualification;
- Experience working within a Legal office environment
- Knowledge of and/or interest in gaining experience in an arms length public body;
- Good communication and organisational skills to work effectively with a broad range of people.
Desirable criteria
- Understanding and application of public and/or charity law;
- Experience with insolvency and debt recovery;
- Legal experience as a paralegal/advisor;
- Proficient with computer systems including Outlook, Microsoft Teams and online file management databases.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Communities in the UK come in all shapes and sizes. National Lottery funding is for everyone – therefore, we are committed to equity, diversity and inclusion and we work hard to ensure our funding reaches where it is needed.
We also believe our people should represent the communities, organisations and individuals we work with. That’s why The National Lottery Community Fund is committed to being an inclusive employer and a great place to work. We recognise and celebrate the fact that our people come from diverse backgrounds. We positively welcome applications from people from ethnic minority backgrounds, people with disabilities or longstanding health conditions, people who are LGBTQ+, and people from different socio-economic and educational backgrounds, as well as people of all ages.
As a Disability Confident Employer, we take a proactive approach in making reasonable adjustments, if needed, throughout the recruitment process and during employment. (This can be related to a physical and mental health condition.)
Using Anonymous Recruitment
This organisation is using Anonymous Recruitment to reduce bias in the first stages of the hiring process. Our system keeps your personal information hidden until the recruiter contacts you.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
Who we’re looking for
You will be an excellent communicator, as well as a practical, well organised and hardworking individual, preferably with experience in the voluntary sector or equivalent transferable experience.
Reporting to the Regional Service Manager, you will support the Service Manager with managing the Cardiff Support Through Court service. You will provide support to volunteers and oversee the daily running of the service when on duty to ensure day-to-day operations run smoothly.
Due to funding requirements, the successful applicant must be fluent in Welsh.
About Support Through Court
Support Through Court is an independent charity providing practical and emotional support to people facing the court process without the benefit of legal representation. Most people are unfamiliar with - and may be frightened of - the courts, and may be facing serious issues that could affect their children and relationships, finances, or the security of their homes. Our staff and volunteers empower people facing court alone, helping them to go through the court process with dignity and confidence. Together, we can ensure that no one faces court alone.
Applicants should apply with a CV and a covering letter explaining persuasively why we should offer you the post. It is important that your letter should provide evidence of the criteria detailed in the job description and person specification document.
We will be interviewing as and when suitable candidates apply, so if you are interested in the position please do not delay your application.