Immigration and Asylum Solicitor Children and Young People s Projects Islington Law Centre is a dynamic community-based Law Centre in inner London. We have a reputation for providing high quality services in imaginative ways, and are seeking to appoint to this exciting new post. The post holder will work very closely with the lead on our Refugee and Children s Rights Programme, and PROTECT (our new specialist legal project working with migrant children & young people). They will also work with our wider immigration team, and other disciplines within the Centre as required The post requires a solicitor with very substantial experience of immigration and asylum law, and a real commitment to the particular needs of children and young people. They must be accredited to at least Level 2 and have experience of publicly funded work and meeting performance targets. The successful candidate will be a strong team player, and able to work with a range of other agencies. The post offers an opportunity to undertake strategic litigation, and to participate in training, work with young people and contribute to publications. Full time 35 hours per week including some evening and weekend working. Pay: Supervisor Band - 35,053 to 40,505 pa The closing date for applications is 4.00pm on Friday 5 th October 2012. Application packs are available from info@islingtonlaw.org.uk or from Recruitment, Islington Law Centre, 161 Hornsey Road, London, N7 6DU. CVs will not be accepted. Islington Law Centre strives to be an equal opportunities employer.
Immigration and Asylum Solicitor Children and Young People s Projects Recruitment Round September 2012 Background information for Candidates Islington Law Centre Islington Law Centre is an inner City Law Centre in north London which provides a wide range of services to both the local community and to specific client groups. The Law Centre was established 40 years ago, and currently employs 36 people. We benefit from the support of a large team of volunteers approximately 150 in a year. The areas of expertise include: consumer, community care, debt, education, employment, housing, immigration and asylum and welfare benefits. The Centre has a commitment to high standards of legal work, and to innovation in practice. We currently offer 21 advice sessions a week, in addition to telephone assistance and a full time drop in reception and referral service. We have 3 evening advice sessions, offered under the LawWorks scheme. We assist clients all the way through their case from initial advice through to representation at whatever level is necessary. Specialist projects The Law Centre currently has 4 specialist projects StreetLegal (a service working with young people to prevent homelessness), the Refugee Children s Rights Programme, the Migrants Law Project and PROTECT (a project providing a holistic and strategic approach to the needs of migrant children and young people). Funding and Governance The Law Centre is grateful for the support of a number of funders. We hold an LSC contract in debt, education, employment, housing, immigration/asylum and welfare benefits, as well as for the co-ordination of the Duty Desk scheme at the Clerkenwell and Shoreditch County Courts. Islington Council has given us a 3 year grant agreement, starting in April 13, and we have a range of grant agreements with Trusts and Foundations. The Law Centre is a registered charity, and has a management committee, who serve as Trustees in a voluntary capacity. The senior management team comprises
the Centre Director and the Practice Manager, and there is a team of 15 casework supervisors. The specialist projects each have project leads. Future Development The Law Centre will shortly be moving to new offices at the Angel, which will allow us to bring together staff teams in a different way, and will offer significantly enhanced facilities for our clients. We have also established a Community Interest Company, which is owned by the Law Centre, and have submitted a full application to the SRA for approval as an ABS. The intention is to offer paid-for services to clients at affordable rates to try to mitigate some of the impacts of LASPO. Background to this post This post is a new one within the organisation, and offers an exciting opportunity to build on our established work with children and young people. The successful candidate will work very closely with Baljeet Sandhu, who is the lead on the Refugee Children s Rights Programme and PROTECT, and won the Legal Aid Young Lawyer of the Year award last year. They will also work with the wider immigration team, and with other key staff supporting children and young people as required. Overview of role The post holder will be expected to represent young clients at different stages of their asylum and immigration cases, including Legal Help, Controlled Work and Certificated work. The post holder must have substantial experience of work in the Higher Courts, particularly the Administrative Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court and experience of the applicable funding regime (including Higher Cost Case Plans). We are seeking a strong team player who can demonstrate the ability to work under pressure and conduct a caseload whilst maintaining other duties. Our children s projects are underpinned by strategic litigation and associated policy programmes and therefore experience in these areas is also highly desirable. The role would suit a solicitor with five or more years PQE in the immigration and asylum field who can demonstrate good knowledge of public law and child law or family law. The role requires a proven capacity to work within the constraints of LSC and charitable funding and to deliver to demanding performance targets. A Solicitor is required to: take over a case load of asylum and immigration work relating to children and young people. This will include litigation work; provide specialist legal advice to individuals and client organisations;
provide and contribute to an expert resource for practitioners working with migrant children and young people, this may entail specialist outreach support and expert second tier advice; contribute to policy and development work; develop our knowledge and expertise of specific child law and public law issues provide any necessary supervision to volunteers and project staff; participate in the wider work of the children s projects, including fundraising and report writing. The post holder must be admitted as Solicitor in England and Wales. S/he must also be accredited under LSC immigration and asylum accreditation scheme at level 2 or 3. An enhanced CRB check will be required. Start date: As soon as possible. Location: Finsbury Park / Angel Applications should be sent to info@islingtonlaw.org.uk no later than 4pm on 5 th October 2012. Interviews will be held on: 12 th October 2012
ISLINGTON LAW CENTRE JOB DESCRIPTION Post: Immigration and Asylum Solicitor Children s Projects Full time - 35 hours per week (LSC Accreditation Level 2/3 - Supervisor) The Islington Law Centre sees the protection and representation of migrant children and young people as of key humanitarian and strategic importance. We have an excellent local and national reputation for providing expert legal advice and support to clients and those supporting them, particularly through our projects the Refugee Children s Rights Programme and the PROTECT project (specialist legal advice unit for undocumented young people) i, which are both based at the law centre. Our projects combine strategic litigation with rights-based policy advocacy to ensure the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is at the heart of child asylum and immigration processes and social care practices. Building on existing legal and policy networks, the projects promote sharing and coordination of legal and policy expertise amongst lawyers and professionals representing and supporting migrant children and young people in the UK. The projects aim to improve access to quality representation for young migrants and also empower professionals and children s NGOs to advocate more effectively for their fair and humane treatment in the UK, in line with international and domestic human rights standards. We are therefore looking to appoint a qualified and experienced solicitor in the areas of public, immigration and asylum law who has good knowledge of child law and family law. The post will be for a minimum period of 12 months but there is the potential for an extension to a permanent role, subject to circumstances and funding. Salary: Within the Law Centre s Casework Supervisor band, which starts at 35,053 and rises to 40,505 Working Hours: Core hours are Monday to Friday 9.30 to 5.30. Some evening and weekend work will be necessary. The Law Centre will shortly be introducing a flexible working policy.
Duties and Responsibilities 1. CASEWORK / OUTREACH WORK / SECOND TIER ADVICE The postholder will provide legal advice and support to individual clients, groups of clients, client organisations, professional advice workers and other advisers by telephone or direct interview on problems within areas of specialisation. S/he will assist clients in identifying significant problems and issues which may be the subject of the project s work. The postholder will decide in conjunction with the other members of the children s projects team whether to take up a case, make an appropriate referral, or give general advice where the Centre does not intend to and/or is unable to act. S/he will investigate problem issues and relevant law, decide on conduct of case with the client (and professionals where relevant) and pursue case to completion, and maintain professional conduct of cases whether or not under either a legal aid certificate or general civil contract. Outreach work may delivered at local and nationals children s charities and NGOs, community groups, and other appropriate settings as agreed with the Project staff. The postholder will play a significant role in overall project work and develop the projects expertise, contacts and reach,. In general, all work carried out will be in the best interests of the client or client group and all instructions will be confidential unless otherwise expressly instructed. The post holder will be required to follow the Law Centre s case management and recording systems. They will also be expected to meet both individual targets and to contribute to the projects performance targets in relation to time recording, New Matter Starts and certificated income. The postholder will be expected to carry out their casework with a high degree of professionalism, and to conduct their work in such a way as to meet all relevant professional and external standards (e.g. Law Society, Lexcel, OISC and Legal Services Commission Specialist Quality Mark). They will be required to ensure that they maintain their Supervisor Status. 2. ADVOCACY The postholder will where appropriate advocate on behalf of clients and/or client groups before formal and informal fora e.g. courts, tribunals, case conferences etc.
3. CAMPAIGNS AND POLICY WORK The postholder will be expected to contribute to the Children s projects publications, leaflets, briefings and training documents. S/he will maintain good relations with local (and national) media, and, where appropriate, contribute articles and information to media for publication or broadcast. The postholder must have a commitment to attending relevant meetings, some of which may take place in the evenings. Stakeholder engagement will also be an important part of the role and the postholder may also therefore need to interact with government departments and other relevant agencies and organisations to represent the view of the law centre and its children s projects and help negotiate and influence them to develop or reform existing policy. As a result, the postholder must be able to anticipate, innovate and challenge existing and emerging policies impacting the relevant client group. The postholder must be prepared to work proactively, illustrate an ability to use their own initiative and react promptly to changing law and policy. 4. TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT The postholder will review legal developments, judgements and practice within areas of specialisation; review current and proposed legislation and policy for possible impact on the projects client base and relevant organisations and groups. S/he may be required research and prepare written training information and training sessions on law and practice within areas of specialisation for workers in professional advice agencies, members or workers in community and voluntary groups and organisations and educational establishments, or in the Centre etc. 5. ADMINISTRATION The postholder will be expected to record their own work and to participate in the evaluation and review of the work of the children s projects, the immigration team and the wider Law Centre. This includes preparing and presenting statistical information and analysis of casework and its impact on clients and the local community. Specialist Quality Mark - all Centre workers are required to participate in the procedures developed in response to the requirements of the Legal Aid SQM e.g. regularly reviewing and recording review of own files and those of other solicitors/caseworkers.
The postholder may also be required to carry out a share of administrative tasks whether related to individual casework and non-casework for the projects; to carry out own typing and word-processing where typing help is not available; use and participate in the development of the use of the computers for tasks e.g. legal precedents, information retrieval systems, client records system, mailing lists; and carry out on a rota basis telephone advice and outreach prisons advice. 6. TEAM WORK, DECISION MAKING AND MANAGEMENT The postholder will be expected to attend project meetings and staff meetings and to participate in consultation and decision making. S/he will carry out their duties in accordance with the Law Centre s policies and that of its projects. A key part of the role will be to work effectively as part of a team, and the postholder will be expected to keep colleagues appropriately informed of project activity and to work to develop and strengthen a holistic team approach. The postholder will be line managed by the Project(s) Director and the Law Centre s Senior Management Team. The postholder may need to attend meetings of the law centre management committee, and the relevant project steering/advisory groups, to report on the work of the children s projects. These meetings are likely to take place in the evenings. The Centre workers who are also solicitors have responsibility for ensuring casework supervision of non-legally qualified staff, and compliance with the Solicitors Accounts rules in accordance with the professional practice rules for solicitors. 8. PROMOTION OF THE LAW CENTRE S AND ITS PROJECTS POLICIES The postholder will be expected to comply with and promote the Law Centre s policies and that of its projects, and in particular the Child Protection, Safeguarding, Equal Opportunities/Dignity at Work and Health and Safety policies. This job description is not exhaustive and as such, the postholder will be expected to be flexible, and to carry out all reasonable requests. However, any substantive changes will only be made following discussion with the post holder and the provision, as appropriate, of further training. i The Refugee Children s Rights Programme is funded by the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Fund and the PROTECT Project (Specialist Legal Advice Unit for Migrant Children) is funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation.
Islington Law Centre free access to specialist legal help for our community IMMIGRATION AND ASYLUM SOLICITOR CHILDREN S PROJECTS PERSON SPECIFICATION Essential Desirable Measurement method Detailed knowledge of immigration, human rights EU and asylum law and their application in practice, including judicial review. Knowledge and understanding of domestic and international human rights law and practice as it relates to children and young people Good awareness and/or understanding of child law and family law. Knowledge of representing those without relevant capacity (Working knowledge of the Court of Protection / Official Solicitor) Knowledge of relevant Government policies impacting young migrants in the UK and EU Written application, test, interview Previous experience of conducting complex immigration and asylum cases, including publicly funded litigation (5 years minimum) Ability to meet case management standards and performance targets Accredited at Legal Services Commission Accreditation Level 2/3 Supervisor Experience of recording work under project funding Understanding of costs procedures and claiming costs in certificated matters. Experience of representing clients on appeal to the European Court of Human Rights Experience as LSC Specialist Quality Mark Supervisor Awareness of Lexcel Quality Mark Experience in representing and/or working with separated children seeking asylum in the UK and/or children s in migrant families Experience of advocacy work on behalf of children and young people / care leavers Ability to deliver outreach services and specialist legal advice services Experience of community development and/or specialist second tier advice to NGOs and agencies
Ability to communicate clearly and effectively both orally and in writing within and outside the organisation, and to represent the law centre and its projects professionally when dealing with all parties Excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills Interact with government departments and other relevant agencies and organisations to represent the view of the law centre and its projects; to influence change. Written application, test interview Excellent problem solving skills with an ability to think outside of the box and balance legal, strategic, policy and pragmatic issues Excellent analytical skills with an ability to interpret complex information to inform decisions Strategic and operational experience in relevant policy area Experience of working in a politically sensitive environment Experience of writing and developing policy Experience of engaging with senior civil servants and MPs Written application, test, interview Ability to self service including some typing, preparation of documents etc Computer literate in MS Office and the use of databases Written application, test Demonstrable and professional administrative, time management, and organizational skills Commitment to the rights of children, immigrants and asylum seekers Experience of social policy work in this or relevant field Experience of advising victims of trafficking in an immigration and asylum context. Understanding of other areas of law impacting children seeking asylum, in particular Children Act provisions Ability to deliver specialist telephone advice Experience of delivering telephone advice
Ability to deliver training to legal and non-legal practitioners Experience of training staff on legal and procedural issues Ability to carry out work on proposals for funding to support the work of the children s projects Experience of preparing funding applications and coordinating projects Highly motivated and high degree of personal work organisation and ability to work under pressure Ability to undertake advocacy in the context of this post Experience of immigration and/or asylum advocacy Knowledge of financial support arrangements for migrants / asylum seekers / families / children and young care leavers Ability to work effectively as a part of a team, while being able to work independently and show initiative under pressure Experience of working within a specialist immigration and asylum team Team player with the ability to motivate others when under pressure. Experience of working with small specialised teams Commitment to equal opportunity issues Ability to get enhanced CRB check Ability to commence post within 4 weeks (or as soon as practicable)