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 two exciting opportunities to join our expanding team of experienced professionals. We are looking for two qualified Barristers or Advocates 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 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:

1. 1.    To provide representation in all types of proceedings, including complex matters on behalf of the client;

    

2. 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

       

3. To provide legal advice that is informed by appropriate legal and factual analysis and identifies the consequences of the different options;

    

4. To advocate robustly in Court on behalf of the client to achieve the best outcome in the case;

    

5. To identify evidential strengths and weaknesses in a case and advise the clients accordingly;

    

6. 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;

    

7. To attend meetings and court hearing outside of working hours when required;

    

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

    

9. Representing the client at advocates meetings;

    

10. To participate in training to your team mates and client children’s services departments;

     

11. 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;

     

12. To advise the client local authority on policy issues in respect of relevant law and Government policy;

     

13. Build strong and positive relationships with clients;

     

14. Time record accurately and manage time efficiently;

     

15. 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

1. 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;

2. Proven advocacy skills in all tiers of the Family Court;

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

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

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

6. The ability to prioritise and organise own workload;

7. The ability to work effectively under pressure;

8.To be responsible for their continuing professional development;

9.The ability to design and deliver training to colleagues and client departments;

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

Contact Details

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