1697 - Family Court Adviser – North Wales

at  Welsh Government

JOB SUMMARY

Cafcass Cymru is operational – advising the court on cases where a child’s welfare is at stake – and is also part of Welsh Government. We therefore have the best of both worlds – service delivery and the ability to shape and influence. We are an organisation that lives and breathes its values. We are an organisation that is genuine in its desire to improve outcomes for the children we work with. We are an organisation that puts Wales on the map in the worlds of social work and family justice. We want you to be part of this exciting journey of putting the child first and making a difference.
In Cafcass Cymru we support thousands of children and families in family court proceedings each year. Our purpose is to safeguard the child and ensure their voice is heard within the family justice system. The child’s future is at the heart of every recommendation made and every action taken by Cafcass Cymru.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Our goals:

As a learning organisation, Cafcass Cymru is strongly committed to continuing to invest in our staff to maintain consistent levels of quality, develop our services and innovate and continuously improve in response to future challenges. Our goals are to:

• Provide the best quality service to support improved outcomes for every child, young person and family we work with
• Create an environment and learning culture where staff feel valued, and their well-being is supported.
• Share our knowledge, learn from partners and use our collective influence to improve the family justice system and children’s social care in Wales.

The role
The role of Cafcass Cymru’s Family Court Advisers is to represent the wishes, feelings and best interests of children and young people involved in family court proceedings in Wales, providing high quality, independent social work advice that protects and promotes their welfare, leading to safe outcomes.
To be a Family Court Adviser you must hold a recognised social work qualification social and already registered with, or eligible to be registered with Social Care Wales. You must have knowledge and experience of safeguarding children and young people within a statutory sector.
Our work is demanding; therefore, you will need to be resilient and organised, can work proportionately, with strong IT skills and excellent verbal and written communication skills.
If this is the type of culture and organisation you think you can thrive in and you are motivated by making a difference for children and families, Cafcass Cymru would welcome your interest.
We are actively committed to becoming an increasingly diverse organisation with a workforce that reflects the diversity of the children and families we work with. We particularly welcome applications from individuals from diverse backgrounds with a range of lived and professional social work experiences. This is supported by our dynamic approach to learning and development and there are several Diversity networks which staff can participate in, which include The Minority Ethnic Staff Network, PRISM LGBTI+ Network, and the Women Together Network.

QUALIFICATIONS

I can confirm that I have a Diploma in Social Work (or Social Care Wales registered equivalent)

NATIONALITY REQUIREMENTS

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Your key tasks will include:

• Carry a case load of private and/or public law cases.
• Provide professional social work advice and assistance to Courts to achieve a timely conclusion to proceedings and secure the best possible outcome for the child based on their individual needs and best interests.
• Provide high quality evidence (orally and in writing) to the Court.
• Ensure that the child’s welfare is paramount throughout proceedings, including ensuring the child is safeguarded in line with organisational requirements and the All-Wales Child Protection Procedures.
• Ensure the appointment and instruction of legal representation for the child as required and in line with statutory and organisational requirements.
• Ensure the child’s wishes and feelings are appropriately considered and reported upon in a timely and high-quality fashion throughout the assessment of the child’s needs as part of family proceedings.
• Advise and assist parents and other relevant parties, in dispute, aiming to reduce conflict and minimise the need for court intervention.
• Work effectively with partner organisations, stakeholders and people who use our service, whilst maintaining the required independence as part of proceedings.
• Keep up to date with changes in legislation, guidance, court rules, policies, procedures, and best practice developments.
• Comply with organisational policies, procedures, statutory requirements, and court rules in the delivery of services to children and families involved in family proceedings.
• Be responsible for personal learning and development in accordance with the requirements of Social Care Wales and the Welsh Government’s performance management process.
• Work as a team member, attend relevant meetings and contribute to the effectiveness and wider planning of Cafcass Cymru as required.
• Provide management information on workloads, practice and performance as required.
• Use ICT effectively for case planning and recording and to support service delivery.
• Represent Cafcass Cymru and the Welsh Government in a professional manner conducive to always promoting a positive image