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2135 - Official Solicitor and Public Trustee - Healthcare and Welfare Lawyer (Fixed Term Contract)
| Posting date: | 16 January 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £56,532 to £69,338 per year |
| Additional salary information: | The national salary range is £56,532 - £64,048, London salary range is £61,201 - £69,338. Your salary will be dependent on your base location |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 31 January 2025 |
| Location: | UK |
| Remote working: | On-site only |
| Company: | Ministry of Justice |
| Job type: | Contract |
| Job reference: | 2135 |
Summary
Offices of the Official Solicitor and Public Trustee
Grade 7 – Lawyers (12-month Fixed Term Contract)
Job Title
Lawyers – Healthcare and Welfare Team (FTC)
Band
Grade 7
Business Group
ALB: Official Solicitor and Public Trustee
Location
National
The Offices of the Official Solicitor and Public Trustee (OSPT)
Background
The office is an Arms’ Length Body of the Ministry of Justice and combines the duties and responsibilities of two separate independent statutory office holders - the Official Solicitor to the Senior Courts and the Public Trustee. There are around 135 staff who support the work of the Official Solicitor and Public Trustee, including lawyers, lay case managers and administrators; the office is based in Central London. We promote access to justice for the most vulnerable members of our society who might otherwise be unable to use the services offered by the justice system due to their lack of mental capacity or because of their young age. We are committed to providing the best level of service we can for our clients.
We are offering the opportunity for two fixed term contract lawyers to join our Healthcare and Welfare lawyer team. The posts are for a period up to two years, with the possibility of the posts becoming permanent.
The Post
The Official Solicitor’s Healthcare and Welfare team manages healthcare and welfare cases in the Court of Protection in which the Official Solicitor acts as litigation friend. In a limited number of cases, she is also called upon to act as Advocate to the court. In welfare cases the Official Solicitor retains external solicitors to act for the vulnerable client and the lawyer will be required to provide those solicitors with instructions as to the client’s best interests and the relevant law, practice, and procedure. In serious medical treatment cases, the work is conducted in house and the cases are fast moving and time critical and the lawyer will be expected to instruct specialist counsel as well as independent experts. He or she will also liaise with the client and family and friends to ascertain wishes and feelings and to report back to the court. The lawyer will also be required to provide guidance and supervision to non-legally trained case managers and advise the Official Solicitor herself when called upon to do so. The work of the team is specialised, and the cases are fast paced and can be high profile. Many are before High Court Judges and reported. The post holder will manage a personal caseload of both welfare and serious medical treatment cases. It should be noted that opportunities for the lawyer to conduct their own advocacy are very limited and the expectation is that external counsel will be instructed.
Essential Criteria
We are looking for highly motivated qualified lawyers eligible to practice within England and Wales, who are able to work efficiently in a dynamic work environment. You will need strong communication skills, good self-awareness and a commitment to role model positive behaviours and use feedback to learn and develop as a professional. You will be expected to make confident and informed decisions within your own casework, while also escalating risks and seeking guidance from senior colleagues where appropriate. You must be able to demonstrate specific professional skills, knowledge, and qualifications. You must also be a qualified solicitor, barrister or CILEX practitioner at the point of making the application for this post.
SKILLS & QUALITIES:
The vacancy will give a lawyer the opportunity of involvement in a challenging and rewarding caseload of healthcare and welfare matters. The post holder must be a qualified lawyer and will be expected to demonstrate Civil Service success profile behaviours and specialist legal knowledge and in particular will need to be able to deliver high quality legal work in the best interests of the vulnerable party, maintaining effective relationships with the judiciary, legal profession, and other external bodies.
The post holder will be expected to have litigation experience and working experience of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and practice and procedure in Court of Protection welfare work including the relevant court rules. Knowledge of the Mental Health Act 1983 would also be of assistance but is not essential.
Knowledge of civil litigation practice and procedure would be helpful but is not essential.
If you would like to discuss the role, or work of the office in more detail you can do so by contacting the Senior Healthcare and Welfare Lawyer, Damian Cullen by email damian.cullen@ospt.gov.uk or by phone 07980 744966.
It is essential that you have experience of using Microsoft computer packages.
Application and selection process
The Civil Service Success Profile will be used to assess suitability.
As part of the application process, we are inviting applicants to submit behaviour examples as detailed below. In addition, a CV outlining previous employment, and the experience and skills you have gained which are relevant to the role, in particular, the “Skills & Qualities” section of this job description.
A test will be administered at interview stage.
Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour, Making Effective Decisions. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to interview.
A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.
BEHAVIOURS
You will be required to provide evidence of the following behaviours under the success profile (There will be a technical exercise administered at interview by way of case study)
Making Effective Decisions (Lead)
Delivering at Pace
Communicating and Influencing
Working Together
Interviews will be held virtually, using the Teams platform.
Grade 7 – Lawyers (12-month Fixed Term Contract)
Job Title
Lawyers – Healthcare and Welfare Team (FTC)
Band
Grade 7
Business Group
ALB: Official Solicitor and Public Trustee
Location
National
The Offices of the Official Solicitor and Public Trustee (OSPT)
Background
The office is an Arms’ Length Body of the Ministry of Justice and combines the duties and responsibilities of two separate independent statutory office holders - the Official Solicitor to the Senior Courts and the Public Trustee. There are around 135 staff who support the work of the Official Solicitor and Public Trustee, including lawyers, lay case managers and administrators; the office is based in Central London. We promote access to justice for the most vulnerable members of our society who might otherwise be unable to use the services offered by the justice system due to their lack of mental capacity or because of their young age. We are committed to providing the best level of service we can for our clients.
We are offering the opportunity for two fixed term contract lawyers to join our Healthcare and Welfare lawyer team. The posts are for a period up to two years, with the possibility of the posts becoming permanent.
The Post
The Official Solicitor’s Healthcare and Welfare team manages healthcare and welfare cases in the Court of Protection in which the Official Solicitor acts as litigation friend. In a limited number of cases, she is also called upon to act as Advocate to the court. In welfare cases the Official Solicitor retains external solicitors to act for the vulnerable client and the lawyer will be required to provide those solicitors with instructions as to the client’s best interests and the relevant law, practice, and procedure. In serious medical treatment cases, the work is conducted in house and the cases are fast moving and time critical and the lawyer will be expected to instruct specialist counsel as well as independent experts. He or she will also liaise with the client and family and friends to ascertain wishes and feelings and to report back to the court. The lawyer will also be required to provide guidance and supervision to non-legally trained case managers and advise the Official Solicitor herself when called upon to do so. The work of the team is specialised, and the cases are fast paced and can be high profile. Many are before High Court Judges and reported. The post holder will manage a personal caseload of both welfare and serious medical treatment cases. It should be noted that opportunities for the lawyer to conduct their own advocacy are very limited and the expectation is that external counsel will be instructed.
Essential Criteria
We are looking for highly motivated qualified lawyers eligible to practice within England and Wales, who are able to work efficiently in a dynamic work environment. You will need strong communication skills, good self-awareness and a commitment to role model positive behaviours and use feedback to learn and develop as a professional. You will be expected to make confident and informed decisions within your own casework, while also escalating risks and seeking guidance from senior colleagues where appropriate. You must be able to demonstrate specific professional skills, knowledge, and qualifications. You must also be a qualified solicitor, barrister or CILEX practitioner at the point of making the application for this post.
SKILLS & QUALITIES:
The vacancy will give a lawyer the opportunity of involvement in a challenging and rewarding caseload of healthcare and welfare matters. The post holder must be a qualified lawyer and will be expected to demonstrate Civil Service success profile behaviours and specialist legal knowledge and in particular will need to be able to deliver high quality legal work in the best interests of the vulnerable party, maintaining effective relationships with the judiciary, legal profession, and other external bodies.
The post holder will be expected to have litigation experience and working experience of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and practice and procedure in Court of Protection welfare work including the relevant court rules. Knowledge of the Mental Health Act 1983 would also be of assistance but is not essential.
Knowledge of civil litigation practice and procedure would be helpful but is not essential.
If you would like to discuss the role, or work of the office in more detail you can do so by contacting the Senior Healthcare and Welfare Lawyer, Damian Cullen by email damian.cullen@ospt.gov.uk or by phone 07980 744966.
It is essential that you have experience of using Microsoft computer packages.
Application and selection process
The Civil Service Success Profile will be used to assess suitability.
As part of the application process, we are inviting applicants to submit behaviour examples as detailed below. In addition, a CV outlining previous employment, and the experience and skills you have gained which are relevant to the role, in particular, the “Skills & Qualities” section of this job description.
A test will be administered at interview stage.
Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour, Making Effective Decisions. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to interview.
A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.
BEHAVIOURS
You will be required to provide evidence of the following behaviours under the success profile (There will be a technical exercise administered at interview by way of case study)
Making Effective Decisions (Lead)
Delivering at Pace
Communicating and Influencing
Working Together
Interviews will be held virtually, using the Teams platform.