Invicta Law

About us

Invicta Law’s Child Protection group prides itself on providing comprehensive and proactive advice and support to local authority clients in all areas of child protection law.

We are a large and very supportive team who work collaboratively to meet the clients’ aims and objectives.

To pursue our goal of increasing our in-house advocacy resource, we have an exciting opportunity to join our expanding team of experienced professionals. We are looking for a qualified Principal Barrister or Advocate to play a vital role in helping to deliver focused, high-quality advice and representation to key clients.

Benefits include:

• Flexible working
• Group Pension Plan (two tiered scheme with up to 7.5% employer benefit)
• Practicing certificates (paid for annually by the company)
• Annual leave (30 days holiday, discretionary day at Christmas, plus bank holidays)
• Life insurance cover at 4x salary
• Strong CPD opportunities (along with PLC, Lexis Nexis and MBL webinars)
• Employee Assistant Programme
• National and local retail discount scheme

Purpose of the Job: 

To successfully and effectively manage a pod that may comprise of senior advocates, senior advocates and pupil barristers.

To provide representation in the Family Court to the children’s social care teams, covering all aspects of child protection law.

To advise the client local authority on legal and evidential matters pertaining to cases Invicta Law have been instructed on.

About the role:

Main duties and responsibilities:

(a)       To work with other members of the team and have line-management responsibility for a pod. Management tasks will include (although are not limited to) supporting and supervising colleagues, managing HR considerations and queries in line with IL’s policies and procedures and monitoring the pod’s performance and time recording.   

(b)       To represent the client local authority in the most complex of cases, including (but not limited to), non-accidental injury cases, cases with a foreign element and fabricated and induced illness;

(c)       To carry out advocacy in the Family Court in respect of (but not limited to) the following types of hearing:

1. Case Management
2. Contested Interim Care Order
3. Fact Finding
4. Issues Resolution
5. Final
6. Applications for an Emergency Protection Order
7. Applications for a Placement Order or Applications under Section 25 Children Act 1989 (Secure Accommodation);
8. Adoption

   (d)       To advise upon all aspects of the work of the Child Protection Team, including advice to social workers, external clients that is informed by appropriate legal and factual analysis and identifies the consequences of the different options and to be involved, if so required, in relevant policy formulation with client departments at a strategic level.

   (e)       To advocate robustly in Court on behalf of the client to achieve the best outcome in the case;

   (f)        To advise the client in respect of emergency or urgent applications and to provide representation at Court in respect of those cases, including out of hours cover where necessary;

   (g)       To attend meetings and court hearings including outside of working hours when required;

   (h)       General drafting to include (but not limited to) case summaries, position statements, skeleton arguments, threshold and draft case management orders as required;

   (i)        To participate in training to your team mates and client children’s services departments;

   (j)        Build strong and positive relationships with clients;

   (k)       Time record accurately and manage time efficiently;

   (l)        To carry out legal research of a complex nature for own cases and by way of support to the Heads of Group and to ensure that this is shared with team members to assist in the effective discharge of their duties and, where appropriate, to be contained within a briefing note for the benefit of the client.

   (m)     Achieve and maintain good working relationships with external clients.

   (n)       To represent Invicta Law at meetings, working groups, external meetings (which may on occasion include chairing a meeting) as directed by the Heads of Group.

   (o)       To assist the Heads of Group in developing the team; ensuring and encouraging their pod to adopt necessary efficiencies and changes.

   (p)       Participate in such quality assurance and other systems as may apply in Invicta Law, and to assist the Heads of Group in ensuring that employees follow Office Manual and quality procedures including compliance with SRA rules.

   (q)       Carry out such other duties commensurate with the post as the Heads of Group may reasonably require.

   (r)        Maintain BSB standards and ethics at all times

   
   About you

   This post requires a qualified barrister or qualified advocate who has experience as a childcare specialist in local government or private practice (in particular the areas specified in skills, abilities, and competencies below).

   This post is subject to a Basic Disclosure Application to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

   Skills, Abilities & Competencies

   • Substantial practical experience of child protection work, including advocacy in the Family Court before magistrates and judges.

      

   • Excellent working knowledge of key public child protection legislation, in particular The Children Act 1989, The Adoption and Children Act 2002, The Children & Families Act 2014 and related delegated legislation, statutory and non-statutory guidance and case law.

      

   • Some knowledge of local government legislation and an ability to adapt to changes affecting the client local authority;

      

   • Ability to prioritise and organise own workload including balancing advocacy commitments and managerial responsibilities.

      

   • Ability to manage own time including accurate time recording and achieving chargeable target.

      

   • Ability to advise and guide team members together with good broad expertise in all areas of work carried out by the team.

      

   • The ability to take clear instructions from the clients and to identify the clients’ objectives and further them in a professional and ethical manner;

      

   • Excellent research and drafting skills.

      

   • Good IT skills including being able to use Microsoft Word & Outlook effectively and ability to use the legal case management system (Peppermint).

      

   • The ability to perform effectively and participate fully within a team;

      

   • Ability to work fast and under pressure, using initiative and adopting a proactive approach.

      

   • Excellent presentation and communication skills.

      

   • Able to cultivate good working relationships with clients with minimum supervision.

      

   • The ability to communicate, liaise and negotiate with other professionals;

      

   • The ability to design and deliver training to colleagues and client departments;

      

   • Ability to deputise for Heads of Group and/or Deputy Head of Group if so required.

      

   • To be responsible for your own continuing professional development;

     
     Contact Details

     To apply, please send a CV and covering letter to InvictaLawHR@cantium.solutions