Employment Caseworker or Solicitor

Job Title : Employment caseworker/solicitor

Reports to: Head of Employment

Salary: Caseworker - £33,067 - £34,655 / Solicitor - £39,895 - £42,962

Hours: Full-time (37 hours per week)

Location: Coventry (with some potential for hybrid working)

About this role

Central England Law Centre (CELC) provides a vital service to clients across Coventry and Birmingham, providing support for all aspects of employment law through a team of dedicated solicitors and caseworkers.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced caseworker or solicitor to join the team, supporting our clients across Coventry in the delivery of casework through the Law Centre’s Legal Aid contract.

Responsibilities

• To advise clients on all aspects of Employment and Discrimination law through a range of channels, including in-person appointments, home visits, and telephone consultations, as appropriate to their needs.
• To undertake casework and represent clients at court as appropriate
• To work in partnership with other organisations who are supporting our client group
• To work collaboratively with colleagues to provide a high quality, holistic service for clients that is able to address multiple legal needs
• To maintain up-to-date knowledge of current legislation, case law, and policy developments relating to Employment and Discrimination Law.
• To manage and maintain case files in accordance with the quality standards and procedures set by Central England Law Centre.
• To conduct casework in compliance with the Legal Aid Agency requirements
• To liaise with the Legal Aid Agency in respect of funding applications and claims
• To support the timely preparation and submission of billing and file costing in accordance with organisational procedures.
• To record time spent on casework and meet daily targets
• To actively contribute to the team’s financial performance by achieving individual billing targets and supporting overall team objectives.
• To attend training courses as appropriate

General

• To demonstrate commitment to the aims, principles and policies of the Law Centre and abide by policies and procedures as set out in the Office Manual and Staff Handbook
• To attend staff meetings and external meetings and seminars when necessary
• Any other task reasonably required within the context of this post

Person Spec

• A demonstrable commitment to social justice and the ability to work sympathetically and effectively with a wide variety of clients.
• Experience of Employment law - you will either be a solicitor or caseworker with experience of working under a Legal Aid Agency contract and a detailed understanding of legal aid eligibility requirements and legal aid applications, including using CCMS
• Experience of advocacy
• Proven ability to meet costs targets
• The ability to communicate effectively and sensitively with clients
• An understanding of the importance of confidentiality
• A non-judgemental attitude
• Experience of using a case management systems and IT systems including Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Excellent organisational skills, including the ability to prioritise multiple pending tasks and provide realistic timescales for completion, to ensure that key deadlines are met, and to work effectively when under time pressure.
• The ability to learn quickly and develop new skills
• Ability to get on with people and be polite under pressure and to work co-operatively as part of a team.
• Attention to detail and sufficient numeracy to complete legal aid and costing forms.
• Self-motivated, able to work independently and on own initiative and able to organise own workload.
• Ability to work as part of a team and with partner agencies

Person spec

Person spec