Legal Intervention Assistant

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a dedicated individual to join our Children and Families Directorate in Birmingham City Council as a Legal Intervention Assistant. In this crucial role, you will assisting with efficient and effective organisation of BCC school attendance legal procedures. You will also provide information, advice and guidance to parents, schools and other agencies relating to school attendance.,

• Check applications for penalty notices from schools, particularly relating to unauthorised leave in term time, ensuring that statutory deadlines are met,
• Issue Penalty Notices and advise schools and other agencies with regard to the criteria for issuing of such Notices,
• Liaise with the Legal Intervention Coordinators in relation to the legal proceedings and preparation of cases for trial,
• Offer advice and guidance to schools staff regarding prosecution for non-payment of penalty notices for unauthorised absence from school,
• Liaise with all customers and colleagues on matters concerning individual cases, operating with a high degree of confidentiality at all times
• Be responsible for establishing, maintaining and reviewing administrative systems relating to all school attendance legal procedures, ensuring that legal requirements are met
• Communicate with defendants in consultation with a Legal Intervention Coordinator or Statutory Attendance Manager as necessary, and attend trials as required to assist the legal representative,
• Review applications from parents for withdrawal of penalty notices, including liaising with schools and notifying parents of outcomes,
• Manage and keeping accurate records regarding the receipt of payment of Court costs and penalty notice payments, and collate pupil absence data and other relevant statistics,
We are looking for candidates with a good standard of education, with evidence of continued professional development. You should be able to offer advice and guidance in an effective and timely manner and have experience of extensive computerised systems and in particular word-processing packages, databases and spreadsheets and experience of producing statistical reports. You should have excellent skills in the use of digital tools and data analysis and be able to work to tight deadlines in a pressurised environment. You should be able to demonstrate a high level of written and oral communication skills and have a proven ability to work in partnership with other agencies. You should be able to negotiate and consult and work on your own initiative. You should also be able to demonstrate a positive and sensitive approach to work, colleagues and customers but also work effectively in a collaborative team environment. In return, we offer a supportive and collaborative work environment where your contributions will be valued. You will have the opportunity to participate in regular supervision, team meetings, and professional development activities. We are committed to your growth and will provide training to enhance your knowledge of home education and safeguarding practices. By joining our team, you will be making a meaningful impact on the lives of children and their families in Birmingham.

If you have an interest in protecting the rights of children to full time education and have high level organisational skills and experience, we want to hear from you!

Please upload an up-to-date CV and Supporting Statement via the attachments part of your application. The Supporting Statement should outline how you meet the criteria for the role through your personal qualities, skills and experience and include your motivation for applying to the post. Note the Personal Statement should be no more than 1500 words. Unfortunately, we cannot consider any applications without a CV and Personal Statement attached Birmingham City Council is an accredited Disability Confident Leader employer, and we are committed to employing, retaining and developing all of our people. We want to ensure your recruitment journey with us is a positive and equitable one, so please let us know if there are any reasonable adjustments, additional support, accessibility needs, or if there is any way in which we can support you through your application. For any informal enquires please contact the Resourcing Team A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be undertaken. Proof of Right to work in the UK will be required for all applicants in accordance with UK Home Office requirements, before any employment offer can be confirmed., Working for Birmingham City Council is more than just a job; it's about making life better for the 1 million plus people who live and work in the city., The Council is a fantastic place to work. You will find an organisation that is both challenging and supportive; with a leadership impatiently adventurous in its pursuit of excellence. There is a clear vision which is ensuring that the Council is working for communities today and building for tomorrow, we focus our resources on five key priorities:
• A Prosperous Birmingham: through a focus on inclusive economic growth, tackling unemployment, attracting inward investment, and maximising the benefits of the Commonwealth Games.
• An Inclusive Birmingham: through a focus on tackling poverty and inequality, empowering citizens, promoting diversity and civic pride, and supporting and enabling all children and young people to thrive.
• A Safe Birmingham: through a focus on making the city safer, safeguarding vulnerable citizens, increasing affordable housing, and tackling homelessness.
• A Healthy Birmingham: through a focus on tackling health inequalities, encouraging physical activity and healthy living, supporting mental health, and improving outcomes for adults with disabilities and older people.
• A Green Birmingham: through a focus on street cleanliness, improving air quality, continuing the route to net zero, and becoming a city of nature.
We see the Council's role as providing strategic leadership - that's being able to visualise a new future for the city and equipping others to share our vision. We want to ensure the provision of services for all, so we can support those least able to support themselves by working with partners and putting citizens and neighbourhoods at the heart of our decision-making. We are always looking for people who put the customer at the centre of their approach, with a commitment to excellence to help us achieve our vision. We will support you to develop and thrive in your role, building a pathway for long-term success, with lots of development opportunities, such as apprenticeships.

In return, we offer you excellent terms and conditions, generous annual leave, a great pension scheme, well-being support, annual travel passes and discounts at a number of city centre establishments.