Housing Solicitor BACKGROUND TO POST:

Transcription

1 BACKGROUND TO POST: The post of Housing Solicitor at RAMFEL is funded by the Migrant Impact Fund administered locally by the London borough of Redbridge. The purpose of the fund is to provide practical support to legal migrants to support their engagement and communication with public sector agencies. The role of Housing Solicitor is pivotal to the development of better relations locally between newly arrived migrants and existing resident communities. The post will provide 1-1 advice, advocacy and representation to migrants and refugees, as well as contribute to the organisation s social policy work, and capacity building programme/training for the third sector and public sector partners. The post will be based in the Advice team at RAMFEL, alongside two solicitors, an Asylum Immigration Solicitor (Advice Services Manager) and a Welfare Benefits Solicitor. The organisation is registered with the OISC at Level 3, and holds the SQM in Welfare Benefits. Advice Services are predominately funded through grant aid and income generation through consultancy and training. The organisation does also have a small contract in Welfare Benefits with the Legal Services Commission, and the post holder will be expected to contribute to targets in the contract. The organisation also has ambitious plans to also develop as a Law Centre specialising in supporting BAMER (Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic and Refugee) communities in East London. PURPOSE OF THE POST: To provide a specialist legal casework service in Housing Law, including litigation, social policy and consultancy work. 1

2 RESPONSIBILITIES: JOB DESCRIPTION 1. Advice giving 1.1 To maintain an active caseload, including litigation, which enables homeless people, and those at risk of homelessness and/or those with housing problems and (where applicable) those with problems relating to community care to enforce their existing rights. 1.2 Interview clients using sensitive listening and questioning skills in order to allow clients to explain their difficulties and empower them to set their own priorities. 1.3 Provide information, advice, casework support, representation on housing 1.4 Use up to date information sources to find, interpret and communicate the relevant information. 1.5 Research and explore options and implications so that clients can make informed decisions. 1.6 Act for the client where necessary by calculating, negotiating, drafting or writing letters and telephoning. 1.7 Negotiate with third parties such as statutory and non-statutory bodies as appropriate. 1.8 Accept referrals from and act as an information resource to other agencies 1.9 Refer internally or to other specialist agencies as appropriate Ensure that all work conforms to RAMFEL s Office Manual, Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner s Standards, Legal Services Commission's Generalist and Specialist Quality Marks as well as Supporting People quality assurance system To meet work in progress and billing targets set by the management team Maintain detailed manual and electronic case records for the purpose of continuity of casework, information retrieval, statistical monitoring and report preparation To keep informed and up-to-date of changes in legislation, case law and other areas Work with the Solicitors team in developing the advice service Where appropriate, supervise other staff and/or volunteers/placements undertaking delegated work on the caseload 1.16 To support the organisation s file review procedures 2. Social policy 2.1 Assist with social policy work by providing briefings and background information about housing matters and the changing circumstances and needs of beneficiaries 2.2 To support the development of research and consultation into housing issues as they affect asylum seekers, migrants, refugees and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Communities 2.3 Represent the organisation at relevant external fora 3. Consultancy/Training 2

3 3.1 To design and deliver information seminars and training for community/voluntary groups and public sector partners working with asylum seekers, migrants, refugees and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Communities. 4. Human resource management 4.1 Provide supervision and support for social work placements and/or volunteers specialising in the delivery of housing services 5. Administration 5.1 Use IT for statistical recording, record keeping and document production. 5.2 Ensure that all work conforms to the RAMFEL s systems and procedures. 6. Professional Development 6.1 Keep up to date with legislation, policies and procedures and undertake appropriate training and learning opportunities to improve skills and knowledge in the performance of duties. 6.2 Read relevant publications, and electronic resources. 6.3 Attend relevant internal and external meetings as agreed with the line manage 6.4 Prepare for and attend supervision sessions/team meetings/staff meetings as appropriate. If these take place outside normal working hours, time off in lieu will be granted 6.5 To receive regular line management supervision and of work performance against agreed goals and indicators 7. Other duties 7.1 To observe the organisational policies of RAMFEL including Equality of Opportunity and Diversity Policy, Health and Safety, Code of Conduct and Confidentiality. 7.2 Carry out any other tasks that may be within the scope of the post to ensure the effective delivery and development of the service and work of the organisation 3

4 PERSON SPECIFICATION Your application should give clear examples of your experience, knowledge and skills and abilities gained in both paid and/or unpaid (volunteer) work for each of the Person Specification criteria. Understanding, Knowledge & Experience A solicitor with a minimum 1a. of one years post qualification experience of housing litigation, including litigation and representing in court on behalf of homeless people or people in housing need. (E) Experience of community 1b. care issues (D) 1c 1d 1e Experience of handling a wide range of housing cases (public and private sector) on issues including homelessness, security of tenure and possession proceedings (E) A sound knowledge of legal aid (publicly funded) work including legal representation and legal help.(d) Meets or has the potential to meet the SQM (Specialist Quality Mark) supervisor standard in housing within six months (E) 1e. Has an understanding of the issues affecting asylum seekers, migrants and 4

5 1f. 1g. refugees (E) Has experience of social policy work (D) Has experience of designing and delivering training or has willingness to learn(d) Competencies 2a Effective Communication Good verbal and written communication skills in English (E) Presents opinion logically, checking for understanding and encouraging open discussion. (E) Experience of delivering presentations (D) 2b Specialist knowledge & application Demonstrates the specialist knowledge and technical requirements of the job (E) Ability to produce accurate information, with attention to detail (E) Ability to use Microsoft Office applications (Office 97 or more recent versions) to at least an intermediate 5

6 level, particularly Excel, Access, Outlook and Explorer (E) Direct experience of casework management system such as casetrack or AIMS (E) Has an understanding of the community and voluntary sector (D) Applies skills and experience to perform the job effectively (E) Completes work to a high standard and always seeks to improve performance. (E) Identifies learning from previous experiences and applies it to new situations. (E) 2c Working with others Experience of managing staff and/or volunteers (D) Ability to work well within a team. (E) Develops effective working relationships and networks.(e) 6

7 Has experience of representing an organisation and an understanding of the needs for positive engagement and representation with stakeholders (E) 2d Time & Workload Management Ability to prioritise a varied workload and meet tight deadlines (E) Takes action to ensure deadlines and outcomes are achieved (E) Monitors performance and progress against objectives. (E) Ability to monitor and maintain own and organisational standards. (E) Willingness to work occasional evenings and weekend (E) 7

8 Ability to handle confidential information (E) 2e Valuing others Understanding of and commitment to the aims and principles of RAMFEL (E) Diplomatic in difficult situations and inspires trust in others by treating all individuals in a fair and consistent manner (E) Ability to work with individuals of different backgrounds, experiences and abilities, regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, race, ethnicity, nationality or economic position. (E) RAMFEL Developed December