South West London Law Centres 2022

Organisation Detail

Our mission is to fight injustice, inequality and poverty. We do this by providing at scale free or low cost legal advice, casework and representation at all courts and tribunals. Our own solicitors and caseworkers advise and represent local people to help them uphold their rights, stay in their homes, clear debts, resolve employment problems, protect themselves and their families, and access social security payments to prevent them from being pulled into poverty. We hold the Lexcel quality mark and have been recognised in awards reflecting the quality and dedication of our work.

SWLLC’s catchment area is the 6 London Boroughs of Wandsworth, Merton, Croydon, Sutton, Kingston and Richmond – a total population of 1,509,741 people.

On average we help around 7,500 people every year to resolve a wide range of social welfare legal issues.

Our clients are mainly on low incomes, zero hours contracts and/or benefits. 50% are disabled or have long-term ill health, including mental health conditions, or are caring for someone who does. 57% of clients come from a BAME background.  Many of our clients come to us facing crisis and destitution.

Our work can be categorised as follows:

• Legal Aid and grant funded legal casework in social welfare law. Helping people obtain justice in the areas of Housing, Community Care, Welfare Rights, Debt, Employment and Immigration.
• On the day legal advice to those facing eviction at three London courts – preventing homelessness and improving housing conditions for the most vulnerable.
• Free community legal advice clinics – working in partnership with legal volunteers to provide advice on common legal problems to the community

Recent key achievements are as follows:

• The law centre was highly commended in the Law Society’s Excellence awards, 2021.
• Our debt team was awarded Debt Team of the Year 2021 at the inaugural Debt Free London Awards.
• Our Immigration and Asylum team received an excellence rating – the highest possible rating in Legal Aid Agency Peer Review.
• We pioneered Crisis Navigation, launching the service in March 2021. In the first year, our Crisis Navigators helped more than 250 people, achieving approximately £300,000 in financial outcomes for them.

For further information, visit our website.

Any questions regarding this organisation or the position should be directed to enquiries@swllc.org

Job Description

Context of the Post 

The trainee will, within the context of training as a solicitor and under the supervision of qualified solicitors, undertake advice, casework and representation in agreed areas of social welfare law covering the topics of housing, immigration, community care, public law and welfare benefits with the possibility of covering employment and discrimination. You will also be part of our Housing Duty Scheme.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. To ensure that all advice, assistance and representation complies with the requirements of our Lexcel quality mark
2. To ensure all casework is recorded within our case management system and prompt billing and payment of work undertaken. The post holder will be expected to meet billing and time recording targets which are set in accordance to the overall requirements of the Law Centre’s annual budget and our contracts.
3. To ensure that the terms of all Law Centre funders are kept to in relation to advice & casework undertaken.
4. To participate in team meetings and to take part in file reviews in accordance with Lexcel requirements
5. To participate staff meetings from time to time.
6. To be responsible for your own word processing, filing and case recording within the case management system
7. To provide training to Law Centre staff and volunteers and to front line advice agency staff within the Law Centre’s catchment area as necessary.
8. To share the work of maintaining everyday necessities.
9. To report on the work of the Law Centre to the Management Committee on a regular basis and to assist the committee with its reports to funders.

Advice & Casework

1. To provide an advice and casework service to clients of the Law Centre. This is to include interviewing clients, advising them of their rights and responsibilities, assessing suitability and effectiveness of alternative courses of action, advising on legal procedures.
2. To assist clients in liaising with other people and organisations to resolve their legal problems where possible.
3. To represent clients at Tribunals and Courts and do the necessary preparation and research.
4. To visit clients at their homes if appropriate.
5. To attend Counsel’s chambers with clients as appropriate.

Professional Development

1. To undertake all training necessary to qualify as a solicitor within two years.
2. To attend courses on new legislation, specialist skills and the use of information technology.
3. To keep up to date with the changes in relevant legislation.
4. To read the relevant law journals
5. To discuss regularly with the Training Principal and the Head of Legal Practice your job performance and personal career development.
6. To be appraised regularly and to engage fully in this process to further personal development and maximise your contribution to SWLLC
7. To undertake such training as is necessary as to gain and maintain the standards required of a Legal Aid Agency casework supervisor as is appropriate.

Social Policy

1. To be alert at all times to the social policy implications of issues presented by clients.
2. To take appropriate action to influence social policy in regard to these issues.

Equal Opportunities

1. To have regarded at all times in the planning and execution of duties to the Law Centre Equal Opportunities Policy.

Special Features

1. Play a full role in the organisation supporting colleagues to maximise their effectiveness.
2. In addition to the tasks and duties listed in this job description to undertake such duties as may be identified and which are generally compatible with the functions of the post.

NOTE:

This job description includes tasks at all stages of the two year development of the trainee. Therefore, matters such as representation, supervision etc. may not be relevant until the later stages.

Person Specification

Essential
1. Demonstrable commitment to providing legal advice; representation at court and support to clients in areas of social welfare law.
2. Demonstrable interest in the areas of law provided by the law centre (housing, immigration, community care with the possibility employment and welfare rights)
3. 2.1 degree or above  and/or has moved to law from achievements in another field
4. You must have the right and be entitled to work in the UK
5. Reliable and motivated
6. Demonstrate an understanding and commitment to promoting equal opportunities
7. Ability to work as part of a team and demonstrate some of the key skills required in being an effective team player
8. Ability to work on your own initiative
9. Excellent communication skills, including good interpersonal skills
10. Evidence of commitment to the not for profit sector
11. Provide an example of an occasion when you successfully assisted a person (professionally or socially) in one of the service areas provided by SWLLC, stating the outcome obtained by the client.
12. Demonstrate an understanding of the criteria for entitlement to legal aid funding.
Desirable
13. Experience of volunteering and/or working with volunteers.
14. Experience of advice work
15. Higher level pass under the LPC
16. Immigration Accreditation