Family Court Adviser – South Wales/Gwent in Cardiff

This Family Court Adviser post sits in Cafcass Cymru's South Wales/Gwent service, a Welsh Government division delivering family-court social work. The work involves representing children's interests, assessing their needs and giving independent advice and evidence to the courts. The post covers private and public law cases, with work in court, at home, in the office and with families, plus regular travel within the assigned area. It requires a recognised social work qualification and Social Care Wales registration or eligibility; visa sponsorship is unavailable for this campaign.

What the job involves

• Manage a caseload of private and/or public law cases
• Advise and assist courts to reach timely decisions and safe outcomes that serve each child's needs and best interests, providing written and oral evidence
• Keep the child's welfare paramount and safeguard children in line with organisational requirements and the All-Wales Child Protection Procedures
• Ensure legal representation is appointed and instructed for children where required
• Assess children's needs and ensure their wishes and feelings are considered and reported accurately and promptly during proceedings
• Advise and assist parents and other parties in disputes to reduce conflict and avoid unnecessary court intervention
• Work with partner organisations, stakeholders and service users while maintaining independence in proceedings
• Keep informed about legislation, guidance, court rules, policies, procedures and good practice, and comply with applicable requirements
• Maintain professional learning and development in line with Social Care Wales and Welsh Government performance requirements
• Contribute as a team member, attend meetings and support Cafcass Cymru's wider planning and effectiveness
• Provide workload, practice and performance information, and use ICT for case planning, recording and service delivery
• Represent Cafcass Cymru and the Welsh Government professionally

What’s required

Qualifications

• Recognised social work qualification

Registration & licences

• Social Care Wales registration or eligibility to register

Experience

• Knowledge and experience of safeguarding children and young people in a statutory setting
• Experience applying trauma-informed understanding when assessing children involved in family proceedings
• Experience using evidence-based practice to analyse a case involving domestic abuse and recommend next steps

Skills & knowledge

• Resilience and organisation
• Proportionate approach to practice
• Strong IT skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication, including sharing information and checking understanding
• Use relevant, credible information from internal and external sources to inform decisions
• Promptly reassess workloads and priorities when demands conflict

Checks & eligibility

• Meet Civil Service nationality and right-to-work eligibility requirements
• Enhanced vetting clearance
• Driving licence and motor insurance for official travel by own car

Nice to have

• Welsh language skills

What’s offered

• Annual pay progression
• 31 days' annual leave plus 10 public and privilege days for full-time staff
• Training and development opportunities
• Civil Service pension
• Reimbursement of Social Care Wales fees
• Flexible and smart working arrangements
• £1,000 annual allowance for qualifying use of a personal car for official travel
• Cycle2Work Scheme and Green Car Scheme, subject to availability

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