Team Manager - Solicitor or CILEx; Legal Aid

Housing Team Manager – Solicitor or CILEx (Legal Aid)

Category

Managerial

Organisation

Job Description

When applying, please ensure to answer person specification based on qualifications, skills and experience, team manager person specification for CILEX, Solicitor person specification for Solicitor. Applications will be reviewed as they arrive, and interviews may be conducted before the closing date. Therefore, early applications are strongly encouraged.

The Role

Solicitor specialising in a specific area of social welfare law, providing high-quality legal advice and representation. Managing their own caseload and providing comprehensive legal services under our Legal Aid contract. The solicitor is also responsible for managing a team of advisors within their specific specialist area of law and the monitoring of the quality of their work through both local and national Citizens Advice standards and the external ones set by the Legal Aid Agency.

An important aspect of this role is to communicate effectively with other client-facing staff members to offer support, advice and guidance when dealing with clients presenting with queries relating to their specialist area.

Duties and Responsibilities

Solicitors at CAS are Team Managers and part of the wider management team. They are required to:

Deliver services in accordance with our service delivery strategy and operational plans, including telephone, digital and pre-booked appointment services

Meet the needs of all clients, wherever possible empowering clients to improve their confidence and capability, and supporting them to develop and implement action plans to meet their needs

In addition Solicitors are expected to:

Provide expert legal advice, casework assistance, and representation to clients in your specialist area (eg Housing, Employment, or Immigration Law).

Manage a varied caseload, including conducting initial interviews, undertaking legal research, drafting legal documents, negotiating settlements, and representing clients in court or tribunals.

Conduct thorough case analysis and develop effective legal strategies.

Maintain accurate and up-to-date case files in accordance with Legal Aid Agency requirements and internal procedures.

Comply with all relevant Law Society and Legal Aid Agency regulations, standards, and quality requirements. Including but not limited to ensuring preparation, record keeping and service delivery for SQM (Service Quality Mark) and all other required audits.

Ensuring that accurate and securely stored records are maintained for the required period and are available for timely legal aid billing requirements.

Contribute to the development of legal resources and training materials for staff and volunteers.

Participate in internal and external meetings and networking events as required.

Work collaboratively with other team members, including caseworkers, volunteers, and administrative staff, to provide a holistic service to clients.

Contribute to the organisation's aims and objectives, including promoting access to justice and raising awareness of social welfare issues.

Undertake continuous professional development to maintain and enhance legal knowledge and skills.

Staff supervision, support and development

Like all team managers, Solicitors are required to:

Contribute to creating and supporting a positive culture in which all paid staff and volunteers are supported and valued

Contribute to engaging paid staff and volunteers in good team work, planning and delivering services, and in campaigning

Supervise paid staff and volunteers in accordance with our policies and procedures

Provide advice, guidance and support to and supervise paid staff and volunteers in relation to any aspect of service delivery

Support the design and delivery of training

Campaigning and social policy development

Solicitors may also:

Support research and other activity to identify priorities for campaigns and social policy development, and the evidence to support such campaigns

Support the design and implementation of campaigns locally

Assist with our contribution to regional and national campaigns, and with acting upon these campaigns locally

Service strategy, planning and development

Solicitors will:

Support and advise the leadership team to develop and implement service delivery strategies and plans

Professional learning and development

Solicitors, like all team managers are all required to undertake learning and development including:

Keeping up to date with legislation

Keeping up to date with policies and procedures

Attending internal and external training

Obtaining and maintaining accreditation for specialist practice

Reporting to:
Service Manager

Responsible for : a team of paid advisers/ advice workers and volunteers

Our team managers are responsible for supervising the provision of our services to clients.

Team managers manage, supervise and support our paid staff and volunteers to support and empower clients to address their needs, and to provide tailored casework when this is needed.

Team…