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Appendix B

Family Court Specialist Services Co-ordinator

Key responsibilities

Key areas Key tasks

Co-ordinate Specialist Inform Specialist Service Providers of Service Providers appointment to a case.

Communicate with Specialist Service

Providers to identify next steps/clarify needs

for the case, taking into account cultural

and gender needs and making appropriate

recommendations.

Encourage Specialist Service Providers to

work within specified times of case event

dates.

Monitor service providers for addressing the

brief and adherence to ethical standards, in

conjunction with the Case Officer.

Monitor, in conjunction with the Case

Officer, Domestic Violence referrals for

addressing the brief and adherence to ethical

standards.

Forward written or verbal complaints against

Family Court professionals to the Family

Caseflow Manager or in accordance with

Department for Courts protocols.

Co-ordinate ongoing support for Service

Providers (eg. training, meetings on new

information/queries/updates).

Contribute to the development of a Family

Court Service Providers selection and

approval panel.

Provide initial induction training to selected

specialist service providers for the Family

Court.

Act as the first point of call for Specialist

Service Providers.

Key areas Key tasks

Act as the first point of contact for general

and professional issues in Domestic Violence

Programmes.

Manage Cases Work with Family Case Officer in particular

and the Family Court team in general to

share relevant information to improve

Family Court Database.

Ensure availability to talk to customers in

crisis or customers requiring additional

information in regard to professional service

aspects of their case, as required.

Forward case files to Judiciary, when

appropriate.

Liaise closely with Case Officers to assist

with the effective and timely management of

cases.

Contribute to the operation of Case Officer

Assessment Conferences.

Receive the Specialist Service Provider

report and forward to the appropriate Case

Officer/Judicial Officer.

Explore options with Case Officers regarding

client needs for clients who are unsure of

next step for their case.

Explore options with the Case Officers

regarding clients needs to ensure the best

interests of the child are promoted in

specific cases.

Record the financial commitment to

Specialist Service Providers on the Family

Court Database as required.

Manage Relationships Liaise with Family Case Officer to share

relevant information to improve case

management.

Participate in Family Court meetings

attended by the Judge, legal practitioners

and Case Officers.

Ensure availability to the Judiciary and Case

Officer to discuss case details.

Respond to daily enquiries on relationship

and family issues from clients and members

of the public on Family Court professional

services.

Key areas Key tasks

Develop and maintain professional

relationships with legal practitioners, the

Judiciary, Specialist Service Providers and

Community Groups.

Attend and participate in Family Courts’

Association meetings.

Attend and participate in relevant meetings/

conferences to maintain relevant

professional knowledge.

Assess Clients/Cases Receive case referral from Case Officer or

Customer Services Officer.

Determine if Section 9 counselling is

appropriate.

Interview clients, self-referred or from

lawyers or from agencies (such as Citizen’s

Advice Bureau), to assess nature of problem,

take action and refer to counsellor where

appropriate.

Assess the needs of clients and provide them

with options for further action to resolve

issues, empowering clients to determine

their own decisions.

Assess most appropriate referral for client’s

cultural and gender needs.

Consider ethics in regard to Family Court

information and providing the appropriate

information to parties and Court staff.

Assess and make recommendations regarding

release of specialist reports to the

appropriate parties.

Select Appropriate Determine appropriate client referrals to

Actions Counsellors, Psychologists, and Domestic

Violence Programmes.

Recommend appropriate Specialist Report

Writers and Counsel to Assist the Court/

Counsel for the Child.

Select Counsel and/or Specialist Service

Providers for client from an existing list on

the Family Court Database.

Select the appropriate Counsellor on a case-

by-case basis, ensuring the service provider

match is appropriate to the client and case

needs.

Key areas Key tasks

Recommend and assign programmes in

Domestic Violence cases.

Receive applications from Domestic

Violence programmes providers to vary the

programme.

Make recommendations, in consultation

with the Case Officer, on any variances in

Domestic Violence Programmes, prior to

forwarding to a Judge.

Provide Family Court Foster liaison between the Family Court and

Education the community it serves through interaction

and community education.

Build skills in Family Court staff on how to

provide information regarding Family Court

Services to customers.

Develop and facilitate training modules on

the Family Court for presentation to the

Community and to other Statutory Agencies

eg. Citizen’s Advice Bureau, Children and

Young Persons Service, Refuge Family

Violence Projects on the business of the

Family Court.

Inform Specialist Service Providers and

Community Agencies of new Legislation

such as Children and Young Persons Service

Act, Domestic Violence Act, Protection of

Personal and Property Rights Act.

Inform specialist services and other

government agencies of Court procedure/

legislative change and administrative

requirements, if necessary.

Provide guidance to Courts staff in

managing people in crisis.

Train and provide support for staff dealing

with Domestic Violence cases and be

accessible for discussions about work-related

stresses.

Administer Documents Produce recommendation sheets and other

and Files documentation for each case file being sent

to the Judiciary as appropriate.

Ensure Applications are referred to Service

Providers and Notices sent to Parties.

Locate files and documents in response to

correspondence queries.

Key areas Key tasks

Read through reports and distribute copies

to appropriate lawyers and parties/alert

relevant Case Officer that copies have been

distributed and discuss with Judge anything

of importance (eg. safety issues), in

conjunction with the Case Officer.

Prepare referral for Applicants and

Respondents to groups such as Stopping

Violence and Support Groups

Collect statistical information for Family

Caseflow Manager, Judges, Area Office,

National Office.

Respond to correspondence from parties,

Specialist Service Providers and the

community, and determine necessary

actions, in conjunction with the Case

Officer.

Maintain Knowledge Attend appropriate training courses, in

Capital consultation with the Family Court

Caseflow Manager, to gain appropriate skills

and knowledge.

Read relevant professional material.

Attend Supervision to ensure safe practice.

Train and supervise Support Service staff if

performing relevant work.