Family Rights Group is a national charity whose aims are to enable children to be raised safely and thrive within their family and community and to strengthen the positive family and community support networks of young people who cannot live with their parents. Family Rights Group advises and supports over 5000 families a year who require, or are involved with, children’s social care services because of child welfare needs or concerns.
Organisation Detail
Established in 1974, Family Rights Group (FRG) works with parents in England and Wales whose children are in need, at risk or are in the care system, and with members of the wider family and friends network who are raising children unable to remain at home. We advise parents, grandparents and other relatives and friends about their rights and options when social workers or courts make decisions about their children’s welfare.
FRG runs a specialist legal advice service for families involved in the child welfare and family justice system. The service comprises:
- A confidential, free phone line for families open Monday to Friday 9.30am to 3.00pm
- Free, up to date information via the FRG website including Frequently Asked Questions, interactive advice features, and electronic advice sheets
- A moderated electronic discussion board for parents and a separate discussion board for families and friends carers (i.e. relatives, such as grandparents, older siblings or friends who are raising a child who is unable to live with their parents. Family and friends carers are also known as kinship carers).
The charity promotes effective family support, the increased involvement of families in decision making, advocacy for families when child protection processes are initiated and adequate support for kinship carers. We champion family group conferences and Lifelong Links, alongside other policies and practices that keep children safe within their family and strengthen the positive family and support networks of those children who cannot live with their parents. These goals drive the development of projects and services, as well as our campaign activity. All of Family Rights Group’s campaigning, policy and research work is informed by families with experience of the child welfare system.
For further information, visit our website.
Any questions regarding this organisation or the position should be directed to clynch@frg.org.uk
Job Description
Job profile
This is a unique and exciting opportunity, funded by the Legal Education Foundation, for a trainee solicitor to join the Family Rights Group (FRG) legal team. The trainee solicitor will:
- work alongside FRG’s Principal Legal Adviser and Legal Adviser and closely with the organisation’s advice & advocacy service as well as with wider policy team colleagues
- benefit from a six-month, full time secondment to Goodman Ray Solicitors, London, during which time there will be opportunity to work on children’s public law matters and private law and domestic abuse cases.
Responsibilities
- Under supervision, and commensurate with skill and experience, provide telephony and written advice and advocacy for families involved with children’s social care services and the family justice system including families:
- seeking help from social care services
- who are subject to child protection procedures
- whose children are in local authority care or placed for adoption.
- Assist with the preparation of quarterly legal and practice updates for the advice & advocacy service
- Review, update and develop legal advice materials for FRG’s advice & advocacy service
- Assist in provision of legal advice and legal support to FRG’s projects and programmes including FGCs and Lifelong Links
- Assist with the drafting of briefing notes for parliamentarians, FRG projects & programmes, working groups and alliances with which FRG is involved
- Assist the legal adviser, principal legal adviser and wider policy team in analysing legal and socio-legal material and government data to identify gaps, tensions and injustices within existing legal, policy and practice frameworks
- Contribute to the development of responses and recommendations in relation to reform of legislation policy and practice
- Conduct legal research to inform and support FRG’s advice-giving, campaigning, influencing and strategic litigation activities
- Support the engagement of families in FRG’s legal and policy work and service developments and engage with families and practitioners in promoting FRG’s objectives
- Undertake a six-month, full time secondment to Goodman Ray Solicitors, London working on children’s public law matters and private law and domestic abuse cases.
- Comply with the requirements of the Solicitors’ Regulation Authority in ensuring that training records are kept.
- Comply with the requirements of the Solicitors’ Regulation Authority in attending the Professional Skills Course by prior arrangement with the supervising solicitor.
- To contribute to the overall work of the organisation, and to attend staff and policy meetings, training and development meetings and other relevant events as required.
- Undertake other tasks as are broadly compatible with the remit of the post
- Ensure that work undertaken is delivered in accordance with FRG’s equalities policy.
