Senior Paralegal (Operations) (Ref: 22788)

Job summary

Job description

Role: Senior Paralegal (Operations)

Business: Office of Public Guardian (OPG)

Location: Cross site: Hybrid working between home and either Embankment House, Nottingham or Victoria Square House, Birmingham. Some travel between either site may be required.

Grade: HEO

Salary: £35,335 - £37,847

Contract Type: Permanent

Minimum Hours: 29 hours over 4 days

Organisational Overview

The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) protects people in England and Wales who may not have the mental capacity to make certain decisions for themselves, such as about their health and finance. We are an Executive Agency of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), set up in 2007 following the introduction of the Mental Capacity Act of 2005.

OPG is responsible for registering lasting powers of attorney (LPA) and enduring powers of attorney (EPA) and supervising deputies who are appointed by the Court of Protection.

OPG is a fantastic place to work offering a range of development opportunities. The OPG is a disability confident employer and is committed to developing a supportive and inclusive environment that reflects the diverse community we serve.

OPG is currently delivering an ambitious transformation programme. This will change the way we provide services and help us meet the growing needs of our users, partners and our stakeholders. It will make sure our users experience a better level of support and will help us to respond to the changing needs of society. Transformation will ensure we can better support adults at risk and create high-quality services that are accessible and affordable.

Team Overview

The team – comprising 70 to 80 staff members – is multidisciplinary in nature and aims to provide a high quality and efficient specialist legal service for OPG. We have Senior Lawyers, Lawyers, Senior Paralegals and Paralegals, a Legal Support team as well as an excellent team of legal operations specialists.

The team has two principal functions:

(1) to conduct litigation on behalf of the Public Guardian in the Court of Protection, managing the whole litigation process. This involves reviewing cases from colleagues in Operations, Investigations and Supervision, and making a decision as to whether to issue applications covering the following:

1. Determination of the lawfulness of certain provisions of LPAs and the severance of unlawful parts;
2. Removal of attorneys appointed on the ground they are not acting in accordance with their MCA obligations; and
3. Removal of non-compliant deputies.

(2) to provide legal advice across the organisation on a wide range of matters including policy, investigations, complaints and where litigation is threatened/brought against OPG.

The work is important, rewarding and challenging in ensuring timely action is taken to prevent abuse. Whilst being based across several different offices, the team works well together as a community, team members are well-supported and there is progression at all levels. For paralegals, there are potential opportunities for support with applications to qualify as lawyers.

We are committed to becoming a Government leader in the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance legal operations and service delivery.

Duties and Responsibilities

As part of the Legal Directorate, you will play a key role in delivering high-quality legal and operational support, leading teams, managing complex casework and driving continuous improvement across the service. This varied role combines people management, case management, stakeholder engagement and project delivery to support the Office of the Public Guardian's strategic objectives.

Your responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:

• Lead and manage teams to deliver work within agreed service standards and business plan objectives.
• Manage staff performance, wellbeing, attendance, development and workflow across a range of legal casework.

• Identify training needs and deliver coaching, mentoring and development support to staff.
• Support the implementation and continuous improvement of legal processes, policies, guidance and case management systems.

• Undertake complex case management activities, including drafting, reviewing and issuing legal documents, court forms and correspondence.
• Interpret court orders, identify appropriate next steps and escalate complex legal matters where necessary.
• Work collaboratively with lawyers, Counsel and stakeholders to progress litigation and other legal matters.
• Oversee litigation diaries, court deadlines and hearing preparation, including instructing and booking Counsel.
• Provide guidance and support on complex casework, complaints and operational issues.
• Monitor and manage team inboxes, caseloads and workflow to ensure work is accurately recorded, allocated and progressed.
• Analyse performance information, quality assurance activity, management information and conduct regular touchpoints to monitor delivery, identify risks and trends, support staff development, maintain standards and provide clear updates or recommendations to senior managers.

• Maintain and improve operational guidance, templates, process notes and training materials to support consistent legal operations practice.
• Identify, assess and escalate operational risks, incidents and service pressures, supporting business continuity and clear communication across the team.
• Model inclusive leadership behaviours, support staff engagement activity and contribute to a positive, respectful and high-performing team culture.

• Build effective working relationships across OPG, the Court of Protection and wider MoJ to improve service delivery and respond to changing priorities.
• Lead and contribute to projects, change initiatives and staff engagement activities.
• Support and contribute to the delivery of corporate objectives, governance requirements and strategic priorities.
• Maintain knowledge of relevant legislation, policies, procedures and governance requirements.
• Comply with health and safety responsibilities and undertake other duties appropriate to the grade and role.

Agreed Expectations

The successful candidate will be expected to work from their base location on a weekly basis in line with current Civil Service requirements, outside of any reasonable adjustments.

Occasional travel to other offices is required.

Skills & Qualifications

Essential Skills

• Experience of leading, managing and developing staff. (lead criteria)
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to analyse information, exercise sound judgement and resolve problems effectively.
• Experience of managing operational workloads, caseloads or projects within a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with a range of stakeholders.
• Experience of delivering change and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Word, Excel, Teams and PowerPoint.

Desirable Skills

The below criteria are desirable only. These will not be assessed throughout the recruitment proce