ROLE TITLE: / Casework Administrator (Legal) / REPORTS TO (ROLE TITLE): / Senior Lawyer
ROLE PURPOSE:
To provide administrative support in the management of casework, including fitness to practise (FTP) complaints, illegal practice complaints and general legal advice on regulatory and public law issues.
To assist proactively with the work of the directorate, and to participate in the development and maintenance of administrative systems.
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (no more than 8)
  • Provide administrative support to all FTP department heads, lawyers, case officers and hearings managers, including by drafting letters and making/receiving telephone calls (eg chasing requests for information) and undertaking administrative tasks for the Hearings department.
  • Provide information to complainants, registrants, witnesses, trading standards officers and others, about the directorate’s role, functions and procedures.
  • Manage distribution of incoming post, including the scanning of correspondence and records. Maintain departmental filing (paper and electronic), including entering/retrieving information from databases to a high standard of accuracy.
  • Assist with the preparation for Registration Appeal hearings and Fitness to Practise hearings including, preparing bundles for internal and external use and carrying out related administrative tasks (for example, redaction of personal details, liaising with interested parties to a case with support as necessaryand obtaining necessary documents for the hearing including medical records and police records.
  • Manage and maintain the service of bundles.
  • Undertake illegal practice case work including investigating allegations, updating case reports and corresponding with parties.
  • Act as the first point of contact for all telephone queries within the legal department and action the query as necessary.
  • Actively participate in training and development events within the directorate, and keep own skills and knowledge up to date.
  • Provide other equivalent administrative support to the directorate and organisation, as directed.

ESSENTIAL SKILLS/EXPERIENCE/QUALIFICATIONS
  • Literate and numerate
  • Good Office skills
  • Good computer skills including Microsoft, Excel and PDF
  • Prior administrative or customer service background would be desirable but is not essential.

CRITICAL COMPETENCIES/BEHAVIOURS
Ability to plan and organise workloads and manage own time effectively
  • Work is dealt with in a timely way, with letters/bundles prepared and dispatched in accordance to required targets. Case officers, lawyers and department Heads do not have to chase for administrative tasks to be completed.
  • Occasionally, tasks may require immediate attention such that they must be prioritised. The ability to undertake such tasks within a limited timeframe is therefore crucial.
Ability to provide clear information to others
  • Telephone conversations are handled clearly and helpfully, with callers understanding our roles and responsibilities, with calls seldom needing to be escalated to a senior colleague in the first instance.
Ability to keep databases up to date
  • Errors in the databases do not exceed an agreed level. Data and reports from databases are accurate and readable.
Ability to manage time effectively
  • Routine tasks are planned and executed in a calm and methodical manner.
Demonstrates positive behaviours
  • Takes the initiative in suggesting new and more efficient ways of working. Commitment to own training and development.

DIMENSIONS (e.g. budget levels/no. of staff managed/project value/relationships managed)
The Legal department manages complaints of unregistered illegal practice and provides legal advice to all GOC departments on regulatory and public law issues. The Case Progression department manages complaints concerning registrants’ fitness to be registered.
This role provides administrative support to enable case officers, team leaders, lawyers and department Heads to focus on the more detailed and complex aspects of case management and legal work. Although appointed to the Legal department, the post holder may also need to support the Case Progression and Hearings department.
Whilst daily tasks will be largely administration based, the post may involve the management of illegal practice cases. The post holder will be expected to conduct basic investigation of illegal practice cases, discuss their findings with a case worker or lawyer and progress the matter whilst keeping case reports and databases up to date. A degree of communication with third parties will be required. Correspondence must therefore be researched, accurate and informative.
ROLE DESCRIPTION PREPARED BY: Kayleigh Allen and Ross Price (Senior Lawyers)
DATE: 25 October 2017
JOB DESCRIPTION SIGNED OFF BY (DIRECTOR): Safia Iman
DATE: