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The Role
Social Work England is the specialist regulator for social work in England, focused on enabling positive change in social work. Every day, social workers support millions of people to improve their chances in life. We take a new approach to regulating social workers in their vital roles, believing in the power of collaboration and sharing a common goal with those we regulate – to protect the public, enable positive change and ultimately improve people’s lives.
Lawyers on the regulatory side of the team support Social Work England in relation to lawfully carrying out its regulatory functions.
Key Responsibilities
* Family Court and Court of Protection
o Provide advice regarding obtaining, using and communicating Family Court and Court of Protection information within regulatory processes.
o Make applications to, and conduct litigation within, the Family Court and the Court of Protection where appropriate.
o Improve and maintain internal processes for handling this information.
* Civil Litigation
o Support Senior Lawyers and the Head of Legal with civil litigation matters including statutory appeals and S29 appeals of regulatory decisions.
o Support to respond to judicial reviews of regulatory decisions.
o Provide advice to the organisation and draft responses to pre‑action correspondence.
* Review of Case Examiner Decisions
o Provide advice on whether requests for reviews meet the Fitness to Practise Rules and recommend whether decisions should be reviewed.
o Conduct reviews against legal criteria to recommend fresh decisions where needed.
General Responsibilities for All Lawyers
* Instruct and liaise with external lawyers as required, managing costs effectively.
* Participate in the fitness to practise decision‑making group for triage decisions.
* Ensure regulatory decisions are legally robust by identifying risks and working with other teams to manage them.
* Provide regulatory and other legal advice to fitness to practise and registration teams.
* Contribute to project teams and working groups as necessary.
* Build strong relationships throughout the organisation.
* Support the delivery of the organisation’s business plan, including training and legal awareness.
* Develop supervisory and line‑management skills as the role progresses.
Your Skills, Knowledge and Experience
* Appropriate qualifications and experience as a solicitor, barrister or legal executive; registration with a legal professional register.
* Rights to conduct civil litigation and/or rights to advocates in the Family Court, or willingness to acquire these rights.
* Knowledge of at least one of the following areas: family law; civil litigation including pre‑action correspondence; professional regulation law; Court of Protection law.
* Strong legal analytical skills and judgement.
* Excellent written communication skills; ability to draft clear, comprehensive advice.
* Ability to work across the organisation, responding positively and creatively to colleagues.
* Ability to meet tight deadlines, remain calm under pressure and manage competing priorities.
* Track record of respectful, open and honest behaviour including commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.
Benefits
* Hybrid working
* 25 days annual leave, rising to 30 days per annum with service, plus bank holidays.
* Option to purchase up to an additional 5 days of annual leave per annum.
* An inclusive culture with staff networks, social events and forums (TIDE award).
* Pension scheme, life insurance, employee recognition scheme and cycle‑to‑work scheme.
Application
During the application process, you will be asked to provide answers to three questions from the job description. These answers will be scored; please answer in as much detail as possible, using examples.
Pre‑Employment Checks
If you are successful at interview, we will conduct routine pre‑employment checks including references, right to work verification and a Basic DBS check, carried out in partnership with our third‑party provider Amiqus.
Contact
For queries about the recruitment process or to discuss the role, email recruitment@socialworkengland.org.uk.
How to Apply
Complete the application form by the closing date. If you are successful, routine pre‑employment checks follow.
Apply for this job at Social Work England Careers.
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