Senior Paralegal

BRITISH PSYCHOANALYTIC COUNCIL; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 35,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

A professional standards authority is seeking a Senior Paralegal to join their Regulation team. This permanent full-time position involves case management, ensuring compliance with regulatory standards, and supporting the fitness to practise process. The ideal candidate will have legal qualifications and experience in case handling, along with excellent communication skills. The role offers a salary of £35,000 - £38,000 and a hybrid work model, requiring at least one day in the London office.

Benefits

28 days annual leave plus 8 bank holidays

Employer pension contribution

Qualifications

• Evidence of legal qualifications at least to degree level.
• Relevant legal experience in interviewing witnesses and drafting witness statements.
• Demonstrable experience in case handling.
• Highly organised with strong attention to detail.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work under pressure in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to compose documents and bundles in a succinct manner.
• Ability to assimilate and understand complex regulatory legislation.
• Ability to work flexibly in a small, close-knit team.
• Understanding of the importance of confidentiality and data protection.
• Willingness to work some evenings and occasional Saturdays.

Responsibilities

• Liaise with the Screening Committee to set up necessary meetings.
• Compile and distribute necessary bundles for Screening Committees and hearings.
• Ensure all Fitness to Practise data is organised and accessible.
• Support witnesses and unrepresented Registrants throughout the process.
• Clerk hearings as required.

Education

Legal qualifications at least to degree level

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Senior Paralegal

£35,000 - £38,000 FTE

Full time: 35 hours per week

Permanent

Welcome from the CEO

Thank you for your interest in joining our team as a senior paralegal.

We are the leading professional association and a Professional Standards Authority Voluntary Accredited Register for the psychoanalytic and psychodynamic psychotherapy profession in the UK.

With a small team of twelve, based at our offices in Archway North London, and with an annual turnover of c£900k we regulate the profession, adjudicate on complaints, and maintain professional standards.

We enjoy a reputation for high clinical and professional standards within the counselling and psychotherapy profession and, unlike other similar organisations, we are purely psychoanalytic in our focus. We accredit training programmes operated via our Member Institutions, ensuring that they meet our exacting standards. Individuals who qualify from these accredited trainings are eligible to become Registrants of the BPC and appear on our public Register. Registrants must comply with our code of ethics and Continuing Professional Development requirements.

As well as our regulatory role, we advance the knowledge and understanding about psychoanalysis and psychoanalytically informed therapies, through working with policy makers and through conferences, publications and other activities.

Having undergone a period of change and growth over the last two years, we are now looking for a permanent senior paralegal to join the Regulation team. This role will assist the Head of Regulation with dealing with concerns relating to Registrants’ fitness to practise, from the initial receipt of concerns all the way through to final disposal of case. You will ensure cases are progressed in a timely manner and to a high standard of quality.

For the right candidate, this is an exciting opportunity to gain valuable experience about the full end to end Fitness to Practise process of a healthcare regulator and to develop their legal skills. For those who are working towards qualification, we are open to signing of qualifying work experience. This can be discussed further if selected for interview and if appointed.

If you believe you have what we are looking for then we very much look forward to hearing from you.

Greg Ross-Sampson

Chief Executive

Reporting to Head of Regulation

Contract type: Permanent

Hours: Full time (35 hours per week)

Salary: £35,000 - £38,000 FTE

Location: Hybrid, at least one day a week in the office. Suite 7, 19-23 Wedmore Street, London N19 4RU

Benefits

28 days annual leave plus 8 bank holidays (for full time), and employer pension contribution.

Job Description

Responsibilities

Case management

• Liaise with the Screening Committee to set up and enable necessary meetings
• Liaise with hearing panellists, experts, Registrants and Counsel to set up and enable necessary hearing dates
• Compile and distribute the necessary bundles for Screening Committees and hearings
• Build and maintain relationships with Counsel and experts
• Support in preparing the brief to Counsel for hearings
• Support with instructing experts for hearings as necessary
• Assist in the preparations of disclosure for hearings
• Obtain witness statements where appropriate
• Support witnesses and unrepresented Registrants throughout the process

Hearings

• Work with the Head of Regulation to ensure Fitness to Practise outcomes on the website are kept up to date
• Clerk hearings as required
• Organise hearing links for online hearings where necessary
• Research relevant event venues and liaise with venues to organise bookings for hybrid and in person hearings where necessary

Legal administration

• Ensure all Fitness to Practise data is kept in an organised and accessible manner, as per the data protection and retention policy
• Ensure all Fitness to Practise post is scanned and processed in a timely manner
• Oversee responses to the Fitness to Practise inbox
• Work with the Head of Regulation and Head of Operations to confirm and update expected Fitness to Practise costs when budgeting and reforecasting
• Ensure all Fitness to Practise payments have been forwarded to the finance team in a timely manner
• Maintain and update contact details for all Screening Committee members and Hearing Panellists

Other

• Support cover of other staff members as necessary and appropriate
• Report on relevant aspects of work in the quarterly CEO report and any other relevant reporting streams
• Support with preparations of Fitness to Practise papers for meetings such as the Ethics Committee and Board
• Any other reasonable duties, as agreed with the Head of Regulation, to contribute to the wider functions of the BPC

Person Specification

Essential

1. Evidence of legal qualifications at least to degree level.
2. Relevant legal experience in interviewing witnesses and drafting witness statements.
3. Demonstrable experience in case handling.
4. Highly organised with strong attention to detail.
5. Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
6. Ability to work under pressure in a fast – paced environment.
7. Ability to compose documents and bundles in a succinct manner.
8. Ability to assimilate and understand complex regulatory legislation.
9. Ability to work flexibly in a small, close knit, multi-tasking team; working with colleagues and on own initiative with minimal supervision.
10. Understanding of the importance of confidentiality and data protection
11. Experience of using Microsoft Office packages, particularly Word, Excel, and Outlook.
12. Willingness and flexibility to work some evenings, and occasional Saturday, to attend meetings or conferences (time off in lieu is given)
13. Commitment to BPC’s aims and objectives.

Desirable

1. Healthcare regulation experience and/or other regulatory settings.
2. Experience in undertaking investigations.