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.

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.

As a Family Court Adviser, you will be working directly with vulnerable children and families, to advise the family courts on the best course of action for the child or young person. You will work with parents, relatives, local authorities, and the courts, and demonstrate your understanding of what the child needs, wants, and feels.

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 Safeguarding 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 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 registration 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.

What the organisation will expect

• You will be responsible for managing defined areas of work using your specialist knowledge or experience to exercise sound judgement when interpreting complex or conflicting information weighing up all evidence to produce innovative 
  solutions to problems. 
• You will be adaptable, flexible, open to, and accepting of change affecting you and your area of work and deal with that change efficiently and professionally.
• You will show political awareness and an understanding of the political landscape when considering the impact of your decision and work on the wider business area and when formulating proposals for Senior Managers and Ministers.

What your team will expect

• You may be required to manage a team setting clear direction on achieving their objectives. You will support team members in their work such as complex areas of work; work allocation and prioritisation; performance management; 
  training and development; mentoring and coaching. 
• You will value diversity and inclusion, creating an environment where individuals feel safe to challenge, share ideas and express concerns adopting an inclusive leadership style. 
• You will be responsible for developing, implementing and maintaining systems or processes ensuring excellence or value for money.

What key stakeholders will expect

• You will take the lead in creating, building and maintaining constructive relationships at all levels. 
• You will be able to tailor and adapt your communication style (written and oral) to advise, guide, influence and persuade internal and external stakeholders as appropriate.

Starting Salary:  A starting salary between £43,785 and £48,269 will be offered to the successful candidate based on their skills, knowledge and experience and performance at interview.  This range is not negotiable.

Location: Our Family Court Advisers work flexibly, whether this is in court, at home, in the office or of course, with children and families, and we provide the technology to enable you to do this effectively.  As a Family Court Adviser, you will be assigned to one of our 5 geographic operational areas with a base office within that area and you should be prepared for regular travel within a reasonable distance of this.

This advert covers vacancies in the South Wales area (Cardiff & Merthyr Tydfil office).

Employee benefits

Cafcass Cymru is a Division of the Health and Social Services Group within the Welsh Government and a career with us offers many civil service benefits including:

• Pay progression based on annual incremental advance.
• Full-time holiday entitlement of 31 days annual leave, plus 10 public and privilege days’ leave
• Access to numerous training opportunities.
• A civil service pension.
• Reimbursement of Social Care Wales Fees.
• Flexible working arrangements.

An allowance of £1,000 per year is available if you use your own car for all official business travel and cover in excess of 2,000 statutory miles per year. A valid driving licence and motor insurance is required.

This advertisement confirms the overall criteria being assessed throughout this recruitment exercise. For further details on the criteria and evidence required at the application stage, you will need to press apply and review the application form.

When presenting your evidence, you may find it useful to consider the expectations of the grade as set out in the Grade Description as well as the main responsibilities that are essential for the role.

If you want to find out more, or if you’re interested in applying, we strongly encourage all potential candidates to contact us prior to completing an application to discuss the role and recruitment process.  Please email CafcassCymruHR@gov.Wales with your contact details, noting the area you are interested in working in and the best times to contact you.