Category: Job adverts

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/

Star Legal solicitors are seeking to recruit 2 solicitors and/or experienced case workers to join a strong reputable team within the West Midlands.

1.  A Mental Health Solicitor or case worker who is Panel Accredited.  Supervisor status is desirable but not essential
2. A Health and Welfare Court of Protection solicitor or case worker, with experience of Court of Protection cases and knowledge and experience of legal aid regulations.  Accredited Legal Representative/Mental Capacity Panel accreditation is desirable but not essential

We seek someone who has a keen commitment to representation of vulnerable individuals, has excellent communications skills, is adaptable and has an enthusiasm to help grow and develop a thriving and fast paced department.  Experience of managing your own case load is required. 

We have a strong team working ethos and you will receive support from a confident and knowledgeable administration team including secretarial, paralegal and billing support.

Driving licence and access to a car is essential

Salary is negotiable dependant upon qualification and experience

Benefits include:

               Free Parking

               Bonus Scheme

               Opportunities for growth, training and development

For further details or information on how to apply, please contact Kirstine McFarlane on 01922 646400 or Kirstine.McFarlane@star-legal.co.uk.

Join our mental health team 

Are you interested in joining our mental health team as a self-employed consultant? If so, please get in touch, as we are looking to recruit lawyers to expand our highly successful mental health department. 

Successful applicants will be expected to develop and manage their own caseload dealing with all aspects of mental health law but primarily focused on patients detained under the Mental Health Act 1983. A large part of the work will therefore involve representation at Mental Health Tribunals.

We are looking for applicants who are already members of the Law Society Mental Health Accreditation scheme and who are keen to develop a caseload in the Somerset/Devon areas.

You should be able to demonstrate commitment to legal aid work, to working in the south-west, and to providing the highest-quality service to the firm’s clients. 

Whilst we can offer a very competitive salary to candidates who wish to join us as employees, we are particularly keen to receive applications from candidates who are interested in working for us as self-employed consultants.

If you are interested in the role, please send CV and covering email to Michael Butler at mpb@butler-solicitors.co.uk. Please also email Michael if you would like to discuss things further before deciding whether to apply.

Would you like to see your job advertisement on the MHLA website, for just £75? Send your text and optional logo to us at: admin@mhla.co.uk. We will supply an invoice. Adverts are published upon receipt of payment.

Job Overview

Goodey Aziz is a practice specialising in all areas of mental health law. We are seeking a Mental Health Solicitor to join our team in our London office. We are a modern practice therefore we offer a hybrid work model and a rewarding bonus scheme.

We are interested to hear from candidates who have experience in mental health matters, representing patients detained in Hospital under civil and forensic sections. Experience in advocacy before the First-tier tribunal is essential. The successful candidate will also have an in-depth knowledge of public funding in mental health cases and experience in managing complex cases. 

Salary negotiable and in the range of £32 000 – £38 000, this will be based on experience and PQE.

The candidate must hold a current Practicing Certificate and be a member of the Law Society Mental Health Accreditation scheme. The candidate may be a Legal Aid Supervisor or willing to work towards obtaining supervisor status.

Working hours: 9:00am to 5.00pm – Monday – Friday. 25 days annual leave.

Job type: Permanent.

Closing date: 29 February 2024.

How to apply?

If you are interested in applying, please email jg@goodeyaziz.co.uk with CV and covering letter.

Would you like to see your job advertisement on the MHLA website, for just £75? Send your text and optional logo to us at: admin@mhla.co.uk. We will supply an invoice. Adverts are published upon receipt of payment.

Lawyer

Salary: £39,390 (National Framework) or £44,792 (London Framework – if you are London office-based or home-based 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: Permanent
Location: Home-based – Flexible in the United Kingdom
Closing date: Sunday 21st January 2024 11.59pm

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 are now looking for a Lawyer to join us on a permanent, full-time basis.

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 senior Legal Executive, this is an incredible opportunity to grow your career and provide a rewarding public service.

You’ll be supporting care across the country, making sure care providers are compliant and supporting and protecting those using care services. This will be perfect for those looking to make a difference whilst developing their legal skillset in the health and social care arena.

What’s more, you’ll be supported with an exceptional package including some valuable public sector benefits including an NHS pension scheme.

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:

• An established history of 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
• A good working knowledge of IT systems including Microsoft Office packages (Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel)

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 via this page on our website.

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

Would you like to see your job advertisement on the MHLA website, for just £75? Send your text and optional logo to us at: admin@mhla.co.uk. We will supply an invoice. Adverts are published upon receipt of payment.

Mental Health Solicitor – Manchester

Job Overview

Reeds Solicitors would like to open a new Mental Health office in Manchester and therefore we are seeking a Mental Health Solicitor to join the team. 

This is an exciting opportunity to help build a new office and develop a team of your own, with the added benefit of the background support of a larger team who have experience in this kind of business development. 

With this in mind, we would like to hear from candidates who have prior management experience or a desire to develop those skills in due course and who will be excited to get involved in the marketing, promotion and development of our brand and services within this area. Applicants should have a good knowledge of mental health matters and have demonstrable experience in proceedings, good advocacy skills and experience with public funding. Salary is negotiable based on experience.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Meeting and interviewing clients to establish the firm’s suitability to provide the necessary advice and services, based on the firm’s specialism and funding options;
• Taking a client’s instructions; 
• Advising a client on the law and legal issues relating to their case; 
• Drafting applications, documents, letters and court orders tailored to the client’s individual needs; 
• Negotiating with clients and other professionals to secure agreed objectives; 
• Researching and analysing documents and case law to ensure the accuracy of advice and procedure; 
• Attending meetings and negotiations with opposing parties, keeping a detailed note of all discussions; 
• Acting on behalf of clients and representing them in court by way of in-house advocacy wherever possible; 
• Instructing barristers or specialist advocates to appear in court for the client in more complex cases; 
• Attending Court to cover hearings where Counsel is instructed and taking a detailed note of proceedings; 
• Preparing and updating Court bundles in line with evidence served; 
• Monitoring clients funding position to ensure works undertaken are either covered by a Legal Aid Certificate or private monies paid on account; 
• Working in a team, sometimes referring cases to the head of department; 
• Supervising and delegating work to trainee solicitors, paralegals and legal secretaries as appropriate; 
• Checking all documentation prior to signing and implementing; 
• Administrative duties, for example completing time sheets so that charges for work can be calculated, billing clients for work done on their behalf; 
• Taking referrals from other firms of solicitors when a conflict of interest arises, or if they have no specialist practitioner available; 
• Provide the highest level of client care and ensure file management in accordance with Lexcel standards
• Keeping up to date with changes and developments in the law by attending external training courses, reading journals and law reports; 
• Undertaking a range of continuing professional development (CPD) activities throughout their career;
• Any other duties as directed by the Team Leader or a member of the Management Team.

Person Specification

• Must hold a current Practicing Certificate.
• Must be a member of the Law Society Mental Health Accreditation scheme. 
• Must be a Legal Aid Supervisor under the Mental Health Contract.
• Must be able to multi-task, think on your feet and prioritise demanding workloads given the sensitive and emotive nature of the works undertaken. 
• Must be an excellent communicator in both written and spoken English, with strong advocacy skills. 
• Must have a good understanding of client care requirements and a commitment to legal aid.
• Be computer literate with experience of using Microsoft Office packages.
• Must have excellent time management and organisation skills.
• Must possess the ability to work within a high-pressure, high-workload environment, where a material change in circumstances may come about at the eleventh hour. 
• Be self-confident, proactive and able to develop good working relationship with third parties including Court and Hospital / Care Home staff, Counsel and Advocacy Agencies.

Salary: Negotiable based on experience.
Working hours: 9:00am to 5.00pm, with one hour for lunch Monday – Friday.
Job type: Permanent.
Closing date: We reserve the right to amend the closing date or withdraw the advert without notice prior to the closing date.

Why work for Reeds?

• At Reeds we do things The Reeds Way – a set of foundational principles that not only tell us how we run our business, but why.
• Externally, it governs how we look after our clients. For example, we have developed our Service Pledge, and our whole firm works as a team to make sure we deliver on this every time.  
• The Reeds Way also governs and guides how we try to add value to the communities in which we operate. 
• Internally, the Reeds Way governs our culture, the Reeds working environment, and the working life and career that we offer to all Reeds people. 
• So, what does all this look like when put into practice? Here is what you can expect from us if you join our team:  
• We safeguard a non-negotiable culture of respect for and between colleagues; 
• We offer a transparent and fair career development structure with opportunities for all lawyers and fee-earners to progress through the stages and become an Associate, Senior Associate and hopefully Partner; 
• All our people – and that means all our people – constantly undergo training and development via The ‘Reeds Academy’ which helps everyone achieve their career goals and get to where they want to be professionally, and to enhance their skills and knowledge; 
• We encourage all our staff to think about business development and look for growth opportunities.  We are always willing to listen to, and potentially invest in, new ideas; 
• We offer competitive salary and benefit packages and have a transparent annual review process which considers your whole contribution to your team and the Firm, not just billing figures; 
• We offer to all staff a discretionary bonus scheme for exceptional performance; 
• We offer flexible working schemes which include compressed 4 day weeks, 9 day fortnights and TOIL (time off in lieu), as well as other hybrid working schemes; 
• You will enjoy the ability to earn up to 30 days of holiday with years of service (standard holiday packages start at 21 days plus all bank holidays); 
• There is an additional paid celebration day for you to use as you would like (such as a birthday, anniversary or other key event); 
• You will have the ability to buy a further 5 days of holiday, and sell surplus holiday, each year; 
• Discretionary additional holiday days are given at Christmas (up to a maximum of 2 days); 
• We give you private medical health care with the option to upgrade and add optical and dental care; 
• Discounted gym membership is available, through private medical insurance; 
• We offer an employee assistance programme with access to physical, mental and emotional health advice & webinars, wellbeing videos and programmes, online counselling & mini health checks; 
• The Cycle To Work scheme is available, including e-bikes;
• Fresh fruit baskets are placed in each office on a weekly basis.

How to apply?

If you are interested in this position, or would like further information, please email recruitment@reeds.co.uk with the job title clearly stated in the subject line.

Would you like to see your job advertisement on the MHLA website, for just £75? Send your text and optional logo to us at: admin@mhla.co.uk. We will supply an invoice. Adverts are published upon receipt of payment.