Housing Rights works to improve lives by tackling homelessness and housing problems in Northern Ireland and is the leading provider of independent advice, training and information on housing and homelessness issues.
Organisation Detail
Are you interested in a training contract to qualify as a solicitor within the field of social justice, in Northern Ireland? Housing Rights was established as a charity in 1964 and has an amazing opportunity to offer the successful candidate a fully funded training contract. Your IPLS fees will be covered and a competitive salary paid throughout your training period.
Housing Rights works to improve lives by tackling homelessness and housing problems in Northern Ireland and is the leading provider of independent advice, training and information on housing and homelessness issues.
Working within our legal advice team, you will play a key role in helping to develop legal and strategic casework and enacting positive change for clients. You may be assisting with: judicial reviews; county court appeals on homeless decisions; challenging decisions on matters such as succession, anti-social behaviour, benefits and of course, preventing evictions in high court and county court.
Our office is based in Belfast but services are provided to the whole of NI to a diverse range of clients.
Further information available here: https://www.housingrights.org.uk
Information about the IPLS Admissions process and deadlines here: Admissions | Institute of Professional Legal Studies | Queen’s University Belfast (qub.ac.uk)
For further information, visit our website.
Any questions regarding this organisation or the position should be directed to
Job Description
Job Purpose:
To promote social justice in Northern Ireland and help Housing Rights deliver on its mission (see
www.housingrights.org.ukby contributing to legal advice, advocacy and representation assistance on behalf of clients and to the organisation’s policy; training and legal information work
Potential Contact:
Clients and public; legal professionals; referral agencies, statutory and with (examples): voluntary organisations; Northern Ireland Courts; Tribunal Service; Housing Rights staff, volunteers, members and Board; elected representatives; policy makers and media.
MAIN DUTIES:
The Legal Apprentice will
work under appropriate supervision arrangements as follows:
Legal Advice & Assistance
- to give legal advice to callers to Housing Rights across its areas of Housing and social welfare law practice;
- to give legal advice through outreach and other planned activities as appropriate;
- to conduct appropriate cases in accordance with Housing Rights’ casework policy and procedures;
- to advise and advocate on behalf of and represent Housing Rights’ clients including working with counsel as required;
- to contribute to the development of the Housing Rights strategic casework strategy and to identify strategic legal issues arising from Housing Rights’ advice, advocacy and representation work;
- to keep appropriate/relevant records as required for management purposes ensuring compliance with funding and professional standards including, for example, Lexcel Quality Standard, service/organisational funders;
- to research relevant legal issues to assist and support the work of Housing Rights’ legal advice and casework teams.
Policy / Information and Communications Work (as required)
- to undertake a social justice project that supports Housing Rights mission;
- to represent the organisation at appropriate seminars and conferences, including at relevant stakeholder groups;
- to identify policy and practice issues arising in the legal advice and assistance work and identify appropriate responses;
- to research and help produce public legal information resources, including briefings/legal information papers and other written material for publication, including on Housing Rights website;
- to deliver outreach information sessions on social welfare law across Northern Ireland;
- to contribute to Housing Rights responses to consultation documents and policy statements;
- to contribute to and participate in media interviews on law and policy issues as appropriate;
- to work with policy colleagues to achieve Housing Rights policy objectives and build effective external networks.
Training (as required)
- to identify the training needs of members and others including in response to changes in legislation and policy;
- to assist in production of relevant training materials and help deliver training to meet the identified needs of members and others as may be required.
Membership/Stakeholder Development (as required)
- to work closely with Housing Rights Practitioners Forum (non-government stakeholders and members normally frontline practitioners) and others as agreed, including to administer and convene relevant meetings;
- to encourage and assist members of Housing Rights in carrying out their advice and policy work as appropriate;
- to contribute to Housing Rights members’ network;
- to develop and maintain effective working relationships with other relevant stakeholders to support the work of Housing Rights ;
- to undertake relevant administrative duties in the performance of the above.
OTHER DUTIES
- to assist with the preparation of reports for funders and others as required by management;
- to act as ambassador for Housing Rights, upholding its public image through its legal work;
- to identify and maximise organisational development opportunities;
- to be available to work outside standard business hours occasionally to meet the demands of the role;
- to undertake such other duties as may be required from time to time;
- to adhere to the organisational values at all times (www.housingrights.org.uk)
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
- to agree individual objectives and set priorities in accordance with those objectives;
- to identify own training and professional development needs in consultation with Line Manager and source appropriate support;
- to comply with professional regulation requirements;
- to successfully complete the recognised professional post-graduate training through The Queen’s University Belfast Institute of Professional Legal Studies in accordance with the requirement of the Law Society of NI and to complete the requirements of the Legal Education Foundation Justice First Fellowship.
