Non-solicitor vacancy on the Children’s Quality Assurance Committee

The Scottish Legal Aid Board (SLAB) is committed to ensuring that the legal aid system in Scotland provides high quality legal services for those who need and qualify for them.

We are currently recruiting a non-solicitor to become a member of the Children’s Quality Assurance Committee, to attend a half day meeting every second month, as well as other occasional meetings as required.

We would like to hear from you if you have a successful background in the public, private or voluntary sectors. You should have good interpersonal skills, the ability to work constructively as part of a team in a committee environment and possess the confidence to challenge and test proposals on decisions made by the committee, as well as the ability to devise pragmatic solutions.

This work is unpaid, but all reasonable out of pocket expenses will be reimbursed and training will also be provided.

Further details are available from the job description document here, and you will also need to complete a diversity monitoring form.

The deadline for applications is midnight on Friday 28 October, 2022.

Children’s Quality Assurance Committee background

The Children’s Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011 allows children’s legal assistance funding to be provided to children and adults (subject to certain tests) at children’s hearings and associated court proceedings. Part 4 of the Age of Criminal Responsibility (Scotland) Act 2019 also allows funding to be provided to children and adults where the police seek certain orders before a sheriff to search, interview and take samples from a child under 12 years of age.

Solicitors who provide children’s legal assistance must be registered to do so. When a solicitor and law firm register they must abide by our Code of Practice and be part of a quality assurance scheme to maintain good standards of advice and representation to children and adults in this area of legal work.

The quality assurance scheme is run by us in cooperation with the Law Society of Scotland. A central part of the scheme is the involvement of non-solicitors as members of the children’s quality assurance committee which monitors and supervises the scheme.

Members of the judiciary, practising advocates and solicitors are not eligible for appointment as non-solicitor members to the committee.

Application process

To apply you should send a covering letter and supporting statement of no more than 1000 words to Tracy Brown at BrownTr@slab.org.uk by midnight on Friday 28 October, 2022.

This should outline why you believe you meet the essential and desirable criteria set out in the job description. You should mention any past or current experience in the justice sector, working within the children’s hearing system or other child focused work and/or peer review.

Where you give examples, these can be taken from any aspect of your life that you consider most relevant; however, we would recommend that you use an example of a recent event, ideally within the last few years, wherever possible.

CVs are not essential but you may include one if you feel this would benefit your application. You should also include details of two referees – they will only be contacted for the successful candidate.

Please also complete the diversity monitoring form. This form will be treated in accordance with the Data Protection Act and will be used as part of the selection process in instances where it is lawful to take positive action.

It is our intention to hold remote interviews between Monday 21 November – Friday 25 November on Teams. Please let us know in your covering letter of any dates and/or times during this period which would be unsuitable for you.

If you have any queries about this role, please contact Tracy Brown, Children’s Quality Assurance Coordinator, on 0131 240 1945.