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Date Posted: November 29, 2023
Application Deadline: December 15, 2023
Job Type: Full-Time / Permanent
Job Category:

• Community and Social Services

Job Start Date: February 01, 2024
Job Location: On-site Position (Charlottetown, PEI, Canada)
Positions Available: 1
Salary: $109,961 - $137,456 per year
Hours Per Week: 37.5

Job Description

Reporting to the Child and Youth Advocate, the position of Legal Counsel and Policy Advisor is responsible for:

• Providing timely and informed legal advice to the Child and Youth Advocate and staff of the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate on matters of jurisdiction, legal rights and child rights based analysis as required;
• Conducting legal research to inform administration of the Child and Youth Advocate’s role, responsibilities and authority pursuant to the PEI Child and Youth Advocate Act;
• Conducting legal research in furtherance of the Child and Youth Advocate rendering advice and recommendations to public bodies and community organizations providing reviewable services to children, youth and their families;
• Providing legal support and advice to the Child and Youth Advocate specific to law and policy reform in the promotion and protection of children’s rights;
• Providing legal support/consultation to staff of the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate on individual advocacy, systemic advocacy and child and youth serious injury and death reviews and investigation specific to a child’s legal rights and human rights analysis;
• Drafting a child rights analysis in response to policy and legislation consultation requests received by the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate;
• Completing jurisprudence reviews and analysis;
• Completing jurisdictional reviews and analysis;
• Drafting child rights informed reports, submissions, position statements, press releases, and other documents as required;
• Participating in identified individual and systemic reviews and investigations of reviewable services;
• Writing review / investigation plans to include: drafting letters of notification and preparing additional notifications for the Child and Youth Advocate’s consideration; identifying issues, methodologies and techniques required to conduct thorough and comprehensive reviews/investigations.
• Ensuring responsibility for due diligence, validation and credibility of identified review/investigation findings;
• Drafting a detailed, concise, evidence-informed and factual written analysis of findings resulting from identified reviews/investigations within a child rights framework, as demonstrated with a well-reasoned critical analysis and objective assessment of the evidence;
• Presenting written and oral legal arguments as required;
• Managing witness interviews;
• Drafting legal documents as required;
• Providing internal office lead responsibility in support of mandatory five-year review cycle of the PEI Child and Youth Advocate Act;
• Providing internal office lead responsibility in assessing how best to provide independent legal representation to children in child protection matters and facilitating such legal representation, as appropriate;
• Participating, as required, in meetings with reviewable service representatives;
• Participating, as required, in inter-jurisdictional initiatives and liaising with other appropriate authorities;

Qualifications

• An LL.B. or J.D. from a recognized law school, with a minimum of 5 years’ practice experience with preference given to family law and/or child and youth law;
• Experience in interviewing children, family members and/or service providers;
• Experience in participating in reviews or investigations and analysis of relevant issues;
• Knowledge of child rights practices, emerging trends, progressive policy and practice developments provincially, nationally and internationally;
• Strong organizational and analytical skills, including the ability to interpret, analyze and evaluate legislation, policy and reviewable services;
• Superior ability to effectively communicate verbally and in writing with a wide range of audiences;
• Ability to effectively summarize large volumes of knowledge and identify trends resulting from data/information/evidence analysis;
• Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with a wide range of audiences, including the ability to maintain an unbiased, impartial and non-confrontational stance at all times;
• Knowledge of the PEI Child and Youth Advocate Act, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, as it affects children and youth, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and relevant PEI legislation related to children and youth;
• An understanding of ethical practice, including the application of the principles of administrative fairness in the conduct of reviews and investigations;
• Excellent time management and follow-up/monitoring skills;
• Ability to analyze and solve problems effectively and lead multiple projects or tasks; and
• Ability to contribute to an organizational culture of excellence, ethical and respectful behaviour.

How to Apply

Submit your application by email to the company contact listed below.
Documents to be included:

Cover LetterResume

Company Information

Company Name: Office of the Child and Youth Advocate

Address: 119 Kent Street, BDC Place - Suite 500

City/Town: Charlottetown

Postal/Zip Code: C1A 1N3

Province/State: PEI

Country: Canada

Website: www.childandyouthadvocatepei.ca

Company Contact

Contact Person: Penny Woodgate

Contact Person Job Title: Office Manager

Telephone: C1A 1N3

Email: spwoodgate@ocyapei.ca