Vacancies
Advocate is an equal opportunities employer. You can find our full Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy here.
Casework Manager
Thank you for your interest in working at Advocate.
We are a national charity that matches people who need free legal help with barristers who are willing to donate their time and expertise for those who cannot obtain legal aid and cannot afford to pay. We believe that fair and equal access to justice is the foundation of our society, and the quality of your legal representation shouldn’t depend on the depth of your pockets, but the merits of your case.
We are the only pro bono charity to provide access to legal assistance in all areas of law, in all courts and tribunals across England and Wales. We exist because committed barristers care about access to justice for everyone. We have been facilitating free legal help since 1996 and have grown into a thriving organisation, working with almost 4,500 volunteer barristers. Our staff team comprises 23 staff and we have 13 trustees on our Board, which is chaired by Sharif Shivji KC.
Job Description and Person Specification
| Reporting to: |
Director of Casework |
| Line reports: | Casework team (12 caseworkers, 1 administrator) |
| Salary: | £40,000 - £44,000 (Dependent on experience) |
|
Location: |
Hybrid working policy with a minimum of two days per week in the London office. Flexibility may be considered for the right candidate. |
| Contract: | Permanent |
Our standard benefits include:
- 25 days’ annual leave, plus birthdays, Christmas closure and bank holidays
- Pension scheme
- Ongoing training and development
- Employee Assistance Programme
Job Description
Management of Casework Function
- Manage the day-to-day delivery of the casework service, ensuring cases are progressed efficiently and to a high standard.
- Directly line-manage the casework team, providing supervision, guidance, and support.
- Lead on induction, training, and ongoing development of caseworkers with the support of the Head of Operations.
- Oversee case allocation and workload management to ensure fair distribution and timely progression of cases.
- Provide advice and support on complex or sensitive cases and assist the team in resolving challenging situations.
Performance and Quality Management
- Oversee the production of casework statistics and reporting.
- Together with the Director of Casework, track and analyse casework metrics to assess performance against agreed KPIs and identify areas for improvement.
- Monitor the quality and consistency of casework decisions and outputs.
- Support the Director of Casework in responding to and resolving complaints.
Service Development
- Monitor workflow and identify opportunities to improve systems, processes, and service delivery.
- Support the implementation of new processes, systems, and digital tools as relevant to the Casework function.
- Contribute to the development of best practice and consistent standards across the casework team.
Stakeholder Engagement
- Reporting to the Director of Casework and working with the Engagement Manager, grow Advocate's reach through regional expansion strategies.
- Support the Casework team to develop and embed streamlined referral pathways with frontline legal advice agencies.
- Support the delivery of external stakeholder engagement strategies led by the Director of Casework.
- Maintain relationships with the Bar through casework and relevant events.
General
- Undertake any other duties as reasonably requested by the Director of Casework or CEO.
Person specification
Qualifications
- Experience of Court processes or a law qualification.
Experience and Knowledge
- Experience managing and developing a team, including supervision and performance management.
- Experience overseeing the delivery of a casework or advice service.
- Experience managing complex situations or complaints professionally.
- Experience monitoring service performance and quality through KPIs or similar frameworks.
Skills and Abilities
- Strong leadership and team management skills.
- Excellent organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
- Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to improve operational processes.
- Ability to analyse data and produce reports to support service improvement.
- Strong IT skills and experience using digital systems to support service delivery.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Personal Attributes
- Commitment to access to justice and the values of pro bono work.
- High attention to detail and commitment to maintaining service quality.
- A collaborative and supportive approach to working with colleagues and stakeholders.
We recognise that candidates may not meet every requirement listed and encourage applications from individuals with transferable experience.
How to Apply
Please submit your CV and a cover letter outlining your relevant experience to recruitment@weareadvocate.org.uk.
Recruitment timeline:
- Closing date – 12pm Monday 20th April
- 1st Round interviews – 23rd or 24th of April
- 2nd Round interviews – 28th or 29th of April
We encourage you to highlight how your skills and experience align with the role. Please note that only candidates whose experience closely matches the requirements will be shortlisted. Due to the volume of applications, we may not be able to respond to all applicants or provide individual feedback.
Equal Opportunities Statement
We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce and actively encourage applications from underrepresented groups. If you require any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know and we will be happy to support you.