Family Court Adviser

Seven Social Care is working with Cafcass Service in Portsmouth to recruit a Qualified Social Worker to be a Family Court Adviser within their Work After First Hearing Team (Private Law).

£32 per hour

SWE Registration

Enhanced DBS (Children and Adults Barred list)

Right to work in the UK

UK Experience

2+ years’ post qualifying experience

ASYE Completed

Office Base (The expectation will be that the post holder may be required to work flexibly around the service area, or to be routinely office based dependent upon specific responsibilities and duties)

Job

To provide advanced social work-level services to children, families and courts by assessing and analysing court applications for any child protection and serious welfare issues affecting a child or young person. Also, to influence those with parental responsibility to be more child-focused when needed, to advise the courts and Local Authorities about safeguarding concerns and about how a child’s life can be improved, supporting judicial case management in the process. 

To achieve this, you will need to keep the child at the centre of your work through high quality direct work with children and their families as well as high quality analysis and assessment. You will also need to be a skilled negotiator, working persuasively with family members and professionals on behalf of children.  You will need to keep the child’s timescale in the context of the child’s journey through childhood and, where applicable, the care system, at the centre of everything you do and you must be prepared to advocate in the best interests of the child, ensuring their voice is not lost in the court arena. You will be required to be a resilient, reflective and accountable practitioner, possessing good IT and organisational skills, so that you can maintain a high throughput of outstanding casework.  

Safeguarding/Child Protection 

To provide high quality early safeguarding and child protection advice, assessments and analysis to the Court on the needs and best interests of children subject to or involved in Family Proceedings 

To ensure that the well-being and safety of the child is paramount throughout Cafcass’ involvement in the case. 

To ensure that all incidents or risks of significant harm to the child are dealt with in accordance with the relevant Local Safeguarding Children’s Board (LSCB) procedures and Cafcass policies and procedures 

To directly work with, or on behalf of children & families to achieve safe and positive outcomes for children, referring to other services where this will produce benefit. 

Service Effectiveness Throughput and Productivity 

To produce high quality work with a rapid throughput, combining increasing productivity with quality of casework. 

For all work produced to be rated good or outstanding in internal and external audits, with exceptions tolerated where the learning gained from these exceptions can be absorbed and applied to future work. 

To be fully engaged with Cafcass policy that all cases must be allocated and to adopt a proportionate approach to work, assessing the needs of the case.  In response to changing demands, the regulating mechanism will be the average time spent on cases; which is lower when demands are higher and vice versa.  

Quality 

To carry out an advanced social work level case analysis of the child’s circumstances and to ensure this is updated if circumstances change, and for roles in Cafcass Intake to provide advice to local teams based on initial case analysis. 

To provide advanced social work level advice and assist the Court to achieve a timely conclusion to proceedings and the best possible outcome for the child. 

To administer and comply with orders made by the Family Court as required and conduct the necessary enquires in accordance with relevant legislation and Court Rules. 

To provide a clear child-focused plan of work in each case which is monitored and subject to ongoing review. 

To ensure the appointment and instruction of legal representation for the child as required, and work in partnership with the relevant agencies for each case. 

To keep up to date with changes in legislation, Court Rules, policies, national directives, procedures and best practice developments. 

To participate in training and development programmes in line with the agreed individual personal development plans, taking responsibility for your continued professional development, learning and improvement, through ever greater selfregulation supported by active and positive supervision in line with the Cafcass Supervision Policy. 

Engagement and Partnership Working 

To work in a child-inclusive way at all times, emphasising the voice of the child to the court and all parties to a case. 

To work in partnership with other parties, agencies and significant others for the child, putting the needs of the child first in all discussions and negotiations. 

Working with Seven Social Care:

We have been helping social care professionals find exciting new roles for almost a decade, so we know exactly where to look when it comes to sourcing the best opportunities. We operate across the UK, and, with over 300 five-star reviews, multiple awards and amazing relationships with the biggest employers in UK social care, we give you the best chance of landing your next role.

We have a reputation for recruiting at lightning speed, however, we can only respond to candidates who meet the exact requirements of the position. If you have any queries about a role or application, please visit our website where our amazing candidate support team will be more than happy to help.