3x Lawyer

The lawyer will be responsible for providing legal and advocacy services to the General Optical Council's in-house casework team investigating concerns about registrants' fitness to practise.

The role requires an advocate with experience of preparing and presenting fitness to practise cases in the regulatory healthcare sector (or similar). They will have responsibility for preparing cases for hearings before the GOC's Fitness to Practise Committee (FtPC), Registrations Appeals Committee (RAC) and the High Court (if qualified), and for presenting cases on behalf of the GOC as required. This will require the jobholder to work closely with Operations Managers and other team members to ensure that cases are fully prepared for hearing in a timely and efficient manner.

The jobholder will also provide legal advice and support to the regulatory operations directorate at all stages of the fitness to practise process, and to the rest of the GOC as required, and will play a significant role in supporting and developing our investigation team.

The jobholder will have a 'hands-on' approach with a strong and positive commitment to continuous improvement.

Key Accountabilities:

• Presentation of cases on behalf of the GOC in front of the FtPC, RAC and High Court (where applicable).


• Preparation of cases prior to presentation (including cases being presented by others) including the drafting of high-quality legal documents, including (but not limited to):


Statements of Facts

Skeleton Arguments

Rule 16 applications

Allegations (charges)

High Court IO extension applications/consent orders

• Supporting casework teams to ensure the efficient and effective assessment, investigation and progression of cases, including advising on the assessment of risk in relation to the need for interim orders (at both investigation and FtPC stages).


• Communicating effectively with internal and external stakeholders, including registrant representatives and external third parties, as required.


• Providing advice, support and training to casework staff including advice on risk, evidence, proportionate enquiry and investigation, the drafting of charges and correspondence with external parties.


• Provision of routine and complex legal advice to the regulatory operations directorate teams on a day to day basis (and, if required, to the wider GOC).


• Ensuring continuous improvement taking into consideration, and implementing learning from, outcomes in practice committees and relevant case law.


• Liaison with internal and external stakeholders, legal representatives and external third parties as required.


• Acquiring an outstanding working knowledge of the GOC's governing legislation, relevant policies and procedures and relevant case law.


• Participate in project teams and working groups as necessary to further the work of the department.
  
  Qualified lawyer with experience of professional regulation or the ability to gain the experience quickly (solicitor, barrister or Chartered Legal Executive, holding a current practising certificate with at least 3 years' PQE).


• Significant experience of managing and/ or directing investigations and presenting cases within agreed timeframes and to a high quality, preferably within the professional regulation setting.


• An excellent understanding of complex legal concepts and ability to apply knowledge to case work.


• Ability to grasp unfamiliar and/or new legislation quickly and to accurately apply rules and legislation to daily work.


• Ability to handle a high-volume caseload and manage competing priorities effectively.


• Ability to communicate to a high standard with legally qualified and non legally qualified colleagues.


• Excellent literacy and written and oral communication skills.


• Ability to grasp unfamiliar and/or new legislation quickly and to accurately apply rules and legislation to daily work.


• Good general IT skills with the ability to use case management systems and Microsoft Office products.