Author: Yetunde Akintewe

HAB LAW is an esteemed law firm with multiple offices across London and employees across the UK. The firm are committed to making a positive difference and increasing access to justice for all members of society, in a more kind, collaborative and digital way..

Role

We are currently hiring for a variety of roles within our busy Mental Health and Court of Protection (Health & Welfare) departments.

Current roles available ;

Experienced Mental Health Accredited Panel Member

COP Supervisor Solicitor

COP Solicitor

COP Paralegal

We are looking at candidates for these roles in the following locations;

London, North England, South England, Midlands

Whilst our Legal Aid contract runs from our London office, the team predominately work remotely, and employees are set up with the equipment needed to do this effectively.

Working in a medium sized but growing team, and reporting to the Head of Department, you will be responsible for providing advice and assistance to a range of clients.

We seek someone who has a passion for representing vulnerable individuals and who will take an individualistic approach to each case they run. Applicants should have fantastic communication skills with an enthusiasm to help grow a fast-paced department. Applicants should have demonstrable experience in running cases from start to finish, advocacy skills and an understanding of public funding when applying for Solicitor roles. Applicants for the Paralegal role should have a sound level of understanding in COP H&W and willingness to learn and progress.

As the COP/Mental Health team are located across England, we are looking for applicants in a range of areas to join our teams.

Qualifications & Experience

• Full UK driving license with access to own vehicle is essential.
• Experience of managing your own caseload.
• A solid understanding of the Legal Aid Contract requirements.
• The ability to maintain excellent client relationships and work with the department to enhance the teams current offering, including participating in business development activities.
• Experience in Mental Capacity law is desirable but not essential.
• Supervisor status is desirable but not essential.

Job Type

Full-Time

Working Hours

HAB LAW is open 9am to 5.30pm Monday – Friday.

Benefits for Employees

• A competitive salary dependent on experience
• Remote/Hybrid working
• Opportunities for growth, training and development
• Referral incentives
• Bonus schemes

How to apply

If you are interested in applying, please email Careers@hablaw.co.uk with your CV and a covering letter.

1. Mental health solicitor/experienced caseworker

London & Norwich

An excellent opportunity has arisen for a highly motivated and compassionate individual to join our specialist mental health team. The successful candidate will be committed to mental health law and excellent client care. You will be expected to prepare your files for billing prior to submitting them to our dedicated billing department and there will be some general administration attached to the role. We have opportunities in our London and Norwich office. Locality in these areas is preferable however, we are willing to consider applications outside these areas.

Hybrid working arrangements in place.

Driving license preferable

Competitive salary depending on experience.

Start date: ASAP.

Please apply with CV to info@abbottsmartin.com

2. Court of Protection Solicitor

London

Job Description

We are currently seeking an experienced and highly motivated Court of Protection Solicitor to join our team. The ideal candidate should have a minimum of two years of experience, be a qualified Solicitor or Chartered Legal Executive (CILEX), and possess a Mental Capacity (Welfare) Accreditation (considered a significant advantage).

Key Responsibilities:

• Take responsibility for all aspects of Court of Protection work, demonstrating a proactive and self-starting approach.
• Provide technical expertise and guidance to other team members, fostering a collaborative working environment.
• Handle proceedings under s.16 and s.21A of the Mental Capacity Act 2005, demonstrating proficiency in this area of work.
• Regularly collaborate with the Official Solicitor in Court of Protection proceedings.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Qualified as a Solicitor or Chartered Legal Executive (CILEX) – Essential.
• Minimum of two years of experience in Court of Protection matters.
• Mental Capacity (Welfare) Accreditation is a significant advantage.
• Proven experience in handling proceedings under s.16 and s.21A MCA 2005.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively.

Job Type: Full-time

Competitive salary depending on experience.

We welcome applications from candidates interested in working either on a full-time basis or as a self-employed consultant, offering flexibility in managing their caseload.

Start date: ASAP.

Please apply with CV to info@abbottsmartin.com

An excellent opportunity has arisen for a Mental Health Accredited Panel Member to join our existing team of experts. Salary will be dependent on experience.

We will consider applicants wishing to work remotely anywhere in England and Wales on a full time, part time and/or flexible working hours basis. We are open to discussions with regards to working hours for the right applicant.

Please apply with a CV and covering letter to andrewm@ajmsolicitors.co.uk

For an informal chat please ring Andrew on 07812 049 296.

Court of Protection Associate Solicitor

We are looking for an experienced solicitor (preferably a minimum of 3 years PQE) to join our Court of Protection team.

We primarily represent P in welfare cases, most frequently instructed on P’s behalf by the Official Solicitor, and we also represent family members in the Court of Protection.

We are looking for someone who is conscientious, driven, organised, and works well in a team, and who has experience of supervising others. Experience of mental capacity matters, best interests and welfare issues in the Court of Protection is essential. Experience of conducting complex s.16 cases is desirable.

The ideal candidate will be ambitious and dedicated to working within this field of work. We are looking for someone with the potential to progress within the firm. This is an excellent opportunity for career progression for the right candidate to build their own profile, to work alongside colleagues listed in Chambers & Partners, and to develop an interesting and varied caseload, whilst supervising and assisting in the development of junior members of the team.

Salary

£45,000-£55,000 depending on experience and level of seniority

Benefits

• The opportunity to be part of a team of enthusiastic and supportive individuals who enjoy and excel at what they do
• The opportunity to be involved in fun and charitable events to improve access to justice for all. For example, we support the Great Legal Bake and the London Legal Walk
• Excellent internal training and support to access external training
• Support and guidance to obtain the Law Society’s Mental Capacity (Welfare) Accreditation and to obtain rankings in Chambers & Partners and Legal 500
• Hybrid working
• 25 days annual leave
• An employee assistance programme delivered by Health Assured, an award-winning wellbeing provider
• Pension scheme
• Health insurance after 2 years of employment
• Enhanced maternity leave package
• A cycle-to-work scheme
• Quarterly and annual bonus scheme

To Apply

Please send a covering letter, equal opportunities form and curriculum vitae to hr@gnlaw.co.uk by 9 June 2024.

Lawyer

Salary: £39,390 to £47,121 (National Framework) or £44,792 to £52,523 (London Framework – if you are London office based or homebased and live within the boundary of the M25) – There is also an additional homeworking allowance of £553 per annum for those working from home
Hours: Full-time, 37 hours per week
Contract: 1 Permanent and 1 Fixed Term or Secondment Opportunity for 12 Months
Location: We can offer home-based working or office-based working
Closing date: Sunday 19th May 2024 11.59pm
Interview Date: Wednesday 29th & Thursday 30th May 2024

About Us

We’re the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and we work to improve health and adult social care in England.

Through the dedication of our expert team, we monitor health and social care services to provide England with a safe and compassionate care system, recognising when services perform well as well as encouraging improvements and taking action over poorer care, where necessary.

One of our main commitments is to become a truly inclusive organisation and to role model a diverse and representative culture. To do so, we work with a variety of networks, including the Disability Equality Network, Race Equality Network and LGBT+ Equality Network.

We’re now looking for two Lawyers to join our team on a full-time basis, one for a permanent contract and one for a 12 month fixed term contract.

The Benefits

– 27 days’ annual leave, rising with service to 32.5 days, plus 8 Bank Holidays
– NHS pension scheme, with around a 14% employer contribution
– Free employee assistance service 24 hours a day
– Discounts to supermarkets, high street stores, electronics and fleet cars
– Discounted gym vouchers
– Cycle to work scheme
– Internal reward scheme where you could win a voucher or two!
– Equipment for homeworking

Why this could be a great role for you…

If you are a qualified Solicitor, Barrister or Chartered Legal Executive, this is an incredible opportunity to grow your career and provide a rewarding public service.

Every day, your vital work will contribute to improving the lives of those most in need in our communities, making a positive impact on health and social care across the country.

What’s more, we prioritise the health and wellbeing of our employees and support their professional growth. You’ll have access to generous annual leave, training and development opportunities, mentoring and experienced managers who will help you succeed in your role and advance your career.

What you will bring…

To be considered as a Lawyer, you will need to be a qualified Solicitor, Barrister or Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives, entitled to practice in England and Wales with either:

– At least two years’ post-qualification experience

OR

– Proven substantial experience providing legal advice in a health and social care regulation setting

You will also need:

– Experience managing caseloads, advising on legal matters and managing enforcement activity
– The ability to present complex information in an easily understood, accessible format
– Effective networking and relationship-building skills

What you’ll be doing…

As a Lawyer, you will provide legal advice to our Operations and Regulatory Leadership Groups.

Specifically, working across a wide range of areas, you will advise on enforcement matters, urgent applications for cancellation or suspension, policies and regulations.

Developing strong relationships across our organisation, you will support the wider Legal Services Team whilst using your expertise to shape legal solutions.

Additionally, you will:

– Provide coaching, support and supervision to junior legal team members
– Undertake a range of casework and policy development activities
– Get involved with contentious work, including pre-action protocol matters
– Identify legal issues and risk

Next steps…

If you require any support or assistance with the recruitment process, please get in touch with our team or include a note in your application.

We know diverse teams allow for a more creative and productive environment and therefore encourage applications from everyone regardless of age, gender/sex, gender identity or expression, religion or belief, disability, ethnicity or sexual orientation.

So, if you’d like to join us as a Lawyer, please apply by visiting this link here.

Other organisations may call this role Solicitor, Barrister, Attorney, Legal Advisor, Counsel, Legal Counsel, In-House Legal Counsel, Chartered Legal Executive, Legal Executive, or Senior Paralegal.

Mental Health Accredited Panel Member – Cambridgeshire

We are seeking an enthusiastic Law Society Accredited Mental Health Advocate to expand our team of experts.

The successful candidate should be around 2+ years PQE or similar qualification. They will need to be a mental health accredited panel member with experience of representing patients at Tribunal and Managers Hearings.  

There will be a broad range of opportunities to represent patients who are both subject to Civil detention and restricted patients.

The successful candidate will need to possess a driving license, transport, and a strong commitment to delivering top-notch legal advice and representation.

On offer is a competitive salary and benefits package, along with a firm who has a progressive and proactive approach to training and career progression and a friendly yet professional working environment.

How do I apply?

To apply for this exciting opportunity to join the team at Hunt & Coombs, please email a covering letter and a copy of your CV to Tracey Caple at hr@hcsolicitors.co.uk.

Due to the large number of responses we receive it is not always possible to respond to every application. We will only contact those candidates short-listed for this role. If you have not heard from us within 7 days please assume you have been unsuccessful on this occasion. If you wish to apply for further roles please do so.

The Mental Health team at Otten Penna is highly respected for its quality representation in the North West.

We are actively seeking to recruit a Mental Health Fee Earner either Accredited already or working towards Accreditation.

Candidates need to be forward thinking individuals who wish to develop their experience in this area of law to provide specialist advice, assistance and representation in relation to all aspects of Mental Health Law

You will be joining an experienced, forward thinking and friendly team with a supportive working environment with excellent career opportunities.

Mental Health Case Worker – Full time

• To represent clients detained in hospital and in the community.
• The role will involve all aspects of mental health tribunals, hospital manager’s hearings and CPA meetings, ensuring that files are run in accordance with the LAA requirements
• Membership of the Mental Health panel/ working towards accreditation.
• Possess a full driving licence

Salary negotiable depending on experience

Inclusion to the firms Health and Wellbeing Scheme and Pension.

Please email your CV with a covering letter to caz.shaw@ottenpenna.co.uk

We are expanding and are looking for people to join our growing team.  

We are looking for 2 Mental Health Solicitors or Consultants  – One to work out of our Cardiff office and one to work out of our Essex Office. 

The role involves representing patients detained under both civil and forensic sections of the Mental Health Act and therefore it is essential that you have;

• Law Society Mental Health Accreditation
• Willingness to travel to various hospitals, as well as your own car. 

These are full time positions working 35 hours per week.  We recognise the need for flexibility and are happy to discuss how these hours can be worked flexibly to suit the candidate and also welcome hybrid working. 

On an employed basis we offer a competitive salary of up to £40,000 per annum dependent on experience. 

If a consultancy basis is more for you then we offer a generous 70/30 split on all cases covered.

The firm also offers 25 days annual leave (exclusive of bank holidays), Birthday leave and a bonus scheme for employees.   

We are also looking for 2 Paralegals/Caseworkers – One to assist our Mental Health Consultant in our Gloucester office, and one to assist in our Essex office, as well as solicitors in other offices where needed. 

We are happy to consider both full and part time applications. 

The role would suit someone who has the ambition to achieve Law Society Mental Health Accreditation. 

As with all other roles in the firm, we are open to flexible and hybrid working. 

The salary for this role is up to £25,000 per annum pro rata dependent on experience.  If you would like to become part of the team pleas send a CV to sholloway@slhlaw.co.uk

Biscoes Solicitors is a well-established law firm with multiple offices across the South Coast of England. The firm are committed to providing a friendly, personalised, and approachable service to all their clients.

Role

We are currently looking for an experienced Mental Health Accredited Panel Member to join our busy Mental Health and Capacity Department. Whilst our Legal Aid contract runs from our Portsmouth office, the team predominately work remotely, and employees are set up with the equipment needed to do this effectively.

Working in a small but expanding team, and reporting to the Head of Department, you will be responsible for providing advice and assistance to a range of clients.

We seek someone who has a passion for representing vulnerable individuals and who will take an individualistic approach to each case they run. Applicants should have fantastic communication skills with an enthusiasm to help grow a fast-paced department. Applicants show have demonstrable experience in running cases from start to finish, advocacy skills and an understanding of public funding.

As the Mental Health team are located in the Southeast of England, we are looking for someone who is able to provide commitment to representing individuals located in this area, and beyond.

Qualifications & Experience

• Membership of the Law Society Mental Health Accreditation Scheme is essential.
• Full UK driving license with access to own vehicle is essential.
• Experience of managing your own caseload.
• Experience of Mental Health work, including conducting own advocacy in Mental Health Tribunal Hearings.
• A solid understanding of the Legal Aid Contract requirements.
• The ability to maintain excellent client relationships and work with the department to enhance the teams current offering, including participating in business development activities.
• Experience in Mental Capacity law is desirable but not essential.
• Supervisor status is desirable but not essential.

Job Type

We are willing to discuss both consultancy fee-share arrangements and permanent employment.

Working Hours

Biscoes is open 9am to 5.15pm Monday – Friday.

We are open to applications from individuals looking to work part-time.

Benefits for Employees

• A competitive salary dependent on experience
• A self-managed flexible time off leave policy
• Remote/home working
• Opportunities for growth, training and development
• A healthcare cash back scheme to which you can claim back the costs of routine prescriptions, optical and dental expenses
• Contributary pension scheme (4% each)
• Referral incentives
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Membership to a discount website for a host of supermarkets and high street retailers, English Heritage access and much more

How to apply

If you are interested in applying, please email HR@biscoes-law.co.uk with your CV and a covering letter.

Mental Health/Court of Protection Solicitor

We are currently looking for an experienced Mental Health Solicitor/Panel Member to join our team.

Ben Hoare Bell LLP is a well-established legal practice operating from three offices in Sunderland, Newcastle and Gateshead. The firm has 9 Partners.

The firm has a strong ethical base and wishes to remain committed to operating within the publicly funded area of legal work, offering a high-quality service to people regardless of means.

The Mental Health/Court of Protection Department currently employs 3 solicitors, 2 trainee solicitors and 1 secretary. The department currently holds a Legal Aid contract to cover the North.

Although this post is likely to be based in Byker the post holder is expected to work from any office used by Ben Hoare Bell LLP.

Necessary Qualifications:

Qualified as a Solicitor or CILEX (essential).

Current full driving licence with access to own car (essential).

Membership of the Law Society Mental Health accreditation scheme (essential).

Experience

1. Experience of Mental Health work (essential).
2. Experience of Mental Capacity work (desirable). Knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 would be of assistance but is not essential. There will be opportunities to gain experience in Mental Capacity Law, if not already acquired.
3. Involvement in administration and management (desirable).
4. Work with community or NfP organisations (desirable).
5. Marketing experience (desirable).

Job Type: Permanent

Working Hours: 9am to 5pm Monday- Friday.

We would be open to applications from individuals looking for to work part-time. 

Benefits

• 26 days holiday entitlement plus bank holidays (pro rata for part time employees).
• Additional holiday entitlement of up to 5 days awarded for continued service.
• Birthday Leave entitlement
• Training and development for all employees including paying for, and supporting through relevant accreditations/reaccreditations.
• Weekly fruit provided for all as well as coffee/tea/milk
• Flexibility for home working for solicitors
• Team Building days and social events
• Pension Scheme
• Maternity pay for employees with two years continuous service (10 weeks at full pay and 16 weeks at half pay).
• Paternity pay for employees with 26 weeks continuous service (2 weeks) and shared parental pay.

How to apply?

If you are interested in applying please email applicants@benhoarebell.co.uk with your CV and covering letter. The deadline for applications is 29 February 2024.

Please see the following link for further details: https://www.benhoarebell.co.uk/careers/mental-health-solicitor/