Organisation Detail
CALS has been serving the people of Leicester and Leicestershire for over 40 years. We offer specialist advice, casework and representation on debt, housing, welfare benefits and immigration from our main office in central Leicester, from our office at Leicester County Court and at outreach venues in the community. We play a leading role in the regional advice sector as lead organisation for the East Midlands Money Advice Project and the East Midlands Immigration Network. We have recently been accepted to join the Law Centres Network and we will therefore be re-launching as a law centre in the near future.
For further information, visit our website.
Any questions regarding this organisation or the position should be directed to recruitment@advice-cals.org.uk
Job Description
What can a trainee expect by training at this organisation?
We are open to offering a training contract or the SQE route.
The Trainee will be supervised by our highly experienced Housing and Immigration solicitors and participate in a tailored training programme. This will involve a fully supported mentoring process with the trainee working closely with the solicitors, to initially provide casework support and progressively build up to providing advice and casework to clients themselves, eventually having an independent caseload. As well as gaining practical on the job experience, more formal training sessions will be delivered to the trainee internally by CALS Solicitors and external training will be arranged where appropriate. The trainee will gain considerable experience of observing interviews and the most effective tailored interview techniques and strategies to use with clients. In order to have a broader understanding of advice work, and how it often interconnects, they will also observe interviews and case mangement in some of CALS other advice services.
The trainee will work within CALS Housing and Immigration services to provide support and assistance to the solicitors delivering the services, and will work at CALS main office, Leicester County Court and at outreach venues when required. Some homeworking will also be possible. The trainee will be fully be integrated into our wider advice team and will have opportunities to contribute to the continuing improvement and development of services provided by CALS as well as having their own independent targets to meet and being supported to plan and develop a social welfare advice project.
Main Responsibilities & Duties
- To actively participate in CALS training mentoring programme including observing client appointments, becoming fully familiar with CALS case management system and casework practices and procedures.
- Provide active casework support to the casework undertaken by CALS solicitors. Including carrying out research, drafting advice letters and obtaining information from clients as well as gathering evidence in support of applications by clients.
- Undertake administrative tasks as required, including copying and scanning documents.
- Under close supervision manage and maintain an independent case load providing a full casework service. Conducting client interviews face to face, over the telephone or via Teams, to take instructions, obtain information, check and confirm facts and explain options available to the client.
- Prepare for and attend relevant court hearings and provide advocacy for clients when appropriate. In particular with regard to Housing possession /eviction proceedings and Immigration Tribunlals.
- Keep up to date with relevant legislation and case law in the immigration and Housing category, by attending training, as directed by the Supervising Solicitor, in order to develop professional skills and knowledge; make appropriate use of reference materials, journals and on-line resources.
- Make referrals either internally to other caseworkers, or externally to other agencies, where clients require advice in other areas of social welfare law and to comply with CALS referral procedures.
- To use the Advice Pro case management system to maintain client case files to the standard set by CALS and the Lexcel Quality Mark.
- Comply with all monitoring requirements of CALS recording statistical information, accurately and regularly, using manual and computerised systems.
- Attend and contribute to both internal and external meetings, training events, conferences etc. as required.
- Attend relevant training to ensure professional development of existing skills and knowledge and obtain any required qualification with the relevant category of Law.
- Developing and maintaining a working relationship with relevant organisations in both the statutory and voluntary sector. Including Housing Options at Leicester City Council and The Race Equality Centre (TREC) Leicester.
- Participation in rotas for other services provided by CALS along with other staff and assisting, sometimes at short notice, with cover for other staff to ensure the smooth and effective running of services.
- Contribute to the overall aims of CALS by attending staff meetings, and any other meetings as required.
- Provide cover and carry out other tasks within CALS that may be deemed necessary to meet all of CALS service delivery requirements.
- Undertaking some out of hours work as and when required, but with notice from the Director of Service Delivery / CALS CEO.
- To attend and contribute to performance/development reviews and one to one meetings.
