03 May 2017

Opportunity to join the team at the Scottish Government’s Looked After Children Unit 

Scottish Government has a secondment opportunity for a solicitor or legal officer with family law experience, in the Looked After Children Unit within the Children and Families Directorate.

You'll support an ambitious and rapidly evolving agenda around securing earlier permanence for children and young people who become looked after.

If you have knowledge and experience of family law, preferably with experience of practising in a local authority team and are interested in contributing to policy development and legislative issues, this could be the role for you.

The role will:

  • Provide support to the Looked After Children Strategy and the early permanence action plan
  • Take forward specific work within the plan including:
    • Engaging with Scottish Government leads and other stakeholders around Court Reform through the Family Justice Modernisation work
    • Working with stakeholders in the children’s sector and the courts to address legislative and practice issues with existing legislation relating to permanence, by supporting the Permanence and Care Excellence (PACE) Programme
    • Advising and supporting the work of the team on legal and operational issues around looked after children
  • Support the division head on specific relevant projects, particularly around engaging with the legal sector
  • Support the Care Review Team on legal and operational issues around the independent Care Review
  • Support policy leads within the Unit in developing policy and legislation
  • Support the Intercountry Adoption Officer in the development of the Scottish Government’s intercountry adoption service

Salary range is up to £42,220 and the successful candidate will remain on their employers salary rate, terms and conditions, and the Scottish Government will reimburse the host organisation for these costs in line with current salary for the duration of the secondment. The secondement is for 23 months.

The post is based in Victoria Quay in Edinburgh.

For further information and to email applications, please contact Belinda Robertson at belinda.robertson@gov.scot

Closing date for applications is Friday 12 May 2017.