POSITION DESCRIPTION Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children
IN-CONFIDENCE
Title: Senior Solicitor – National Office
Group: People, Culture and Enabling Services
Reports to: Legal Manager – National Office
Location: As specified
Direct Reports: No
Budget: No
PUBLIC SERVICE PURPOSE STATEMENT
Ka mahitahi mātou o te ratonga tūmatanui kia hei painga mō ngā tāngata o Aotearoa i āianei, ā, hei ngā rā ki tua hoki. He kawenga tino whaitake tā mātou hei tautoko i te Karauna i runga i āna hononga ki a ngāi Māori i raro i te Tiriti o Waitangi. Ka tautoko mātou i te kāwanatanga manapori. Ka whakakotahingia mātou e te wairua whakarato ki ō mātou hapori, ā, e arahina ana mātou e ngā mātāpono me ngā tikanga matua o te ratonga tūmatanui i roto i ā mātou mahi. In the public service we work collectively to make a meaningful difference for New Zealanders now and in the future. We have an important role in supporting the Crown in its relationships with Māori under the Treaty of Waitangi. We support democratic government. We are unified by a spirit of service to our communities and guided by the core principles and values of the public service in our work. You can find out more about what this means at (https://www.publicservice.govt.nz/about-us)
OUR ORGANISATION
About us Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children is a Ministry dedicated to supporting any child in New Zealand whose wellbeing is at significant risk of harm now, or in the future. We also work with young people who may have offended or are likely to offend. Our belief is that in the right environment, with the right people surrounding and nurturing them, any child can, and should flourish.
Our vision Our vision is: New Zealand values the wellbeing of tamariki above all else.
Our purpose Our purpose is: To ensure that all tamariki are in loving whānau and communities where Oranga tamariki can be realised.
Position Description – Senior Solicitor – National Office – December 2022 2
IN-CONFIDENCE
The Oranga Tamariki way
Our core outcomes
Our core outcomes are: - All children and young people are in loving families and communities
where they can be safe, strong, connected, and able to flourish. - Improved outcomes for all children, especially tamariki and rangatahi
Māori.
POSITION PURPOSE
The Oranga Tamariki legal team is a dynamic, agile group committed to the vision of Oranga Tamariki.
Our solicitors provide high quality legal advice and services to Oranga Tamariki staff, working to enable
progress toward the vision and outcomes of Oranga Tamariki. We embody the Oranga Tamariki way
of working. We incorporate Te Ao Māori in our work and recognise the importance of whakapapa and
whanaungatanga to the mana and wellbeing of tamariki Māori.
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IN-CONFIDENCE
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES
Key Result area Key Accountabilities
Legal Advice and Services
- Support Oranga Tamariki to achieve its outcomes through
timely, reliable legal advice and services
- Identify best practice from across government and actively
use network connections to obtain resources and information
which improve the efficiency and/or quality of legal work
- Able to provide high level strategic legal advice and support
- Provide high quality legal support and solutions aligned with
organisational and systemic transformational objectives
- Provide high quality legal advice, representation, and
advocacy for Oranga Tamariki as defined in the Legal Services
Quality Assurance Framework (QAF). This includes legal
advice that is timely, accurate and consistently fit for purpose
and audience
- Ensure verbal and written communications are clear, easy to
understand and provided to the right people at the right time
particularly where that advice is complex, significant,
politically sensitive and/or is required urgently
- Manage a workload expected of a senior solicitor in the
relevant role
- Ensure work is consistent with Legal Services Legal
Standards and guidance and provide support to junior staff to
ensure compliance
- Must have an awareness of NZ machinery of government,
including expectations of CE and Ministers. Demonstrates (or
can quickly develop) political nous and navigates diverse,
sensitive, and complex political situations effectively
- Provide and oversee the provision of high-quality input and
advice from a legal perspective into whole of government
policy development or policy initiatives in areas of expertise
- Proven subject-matter expertise
- Assess the need for training and education with clients and
develop and deliver tailored training where necessary and as
requested
- Represent and role model Oranga Tamariki values in legal
proceedings and/or other engagements
- Manage complex situations requiring substantial legal advice,
including delegating work to solicitor colleagues to ensure
work is completed in a timely manner and at the appropriate
level, and ensuring instructions, handovers/information is
provided to maintain high quality legal services
- Able to instruct the Crown or other external lawyers to
conduct legal business for Oranga Tamariki
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IN-CONFIDENCE
Key Result area Key Accountabilities
Relationship Management - Proactively develop and maintain strong relationships across
the organisation and with key stakeholders to gain their trust
and respect, including with senior management
- Maintain a client focused approach and proactively work in a
positive, adaptable, and supportive manner to provide a high-
quality client experience in every interaction
- Build and maintain close cooperative relationships with key
external providers of Legal Services (both public and private
sector). This includes regular engagement with Government
legal networks
- Actively promote the services available from Legal Services.
Attend meetings and events when required to promote legal
services
- Regularly engage with people who are at tier 3 and above
within the organisation. This includes demonstrated ability to
provide advice that is fit for purpose for, and gains the trust of,
people in senior positions (e.g., CE, senior leadership, the
Minister)
Performance and Development - Identify and act on personal learning and development
opportunities including through participation in, and the use
of, the internal Legal Services Quality Assurance Framework
(QAF)
- Build Oranga Tamariki Legal Services professional capacity
and ongoing development. This will include providing peer
support, mentoring and leadership to more junior colleagues
- Competence in the relevant areas of law with the ability to
contribute to published works, external training initiatives and
legislative projects
- Proactively look to drive continuous improvement through
identifying issues and working with others to address them
Risk Management - Actively identify, assess, and prioritise issues/risks including
any systemic risk
- Identify issues in legislation and escalate appropriately
- Identify and highlight risks that may have a regional or
national impact and propose ways to address risk where
necessary
Leadership - Demonstrate leadership in the Oranga Tamariki team,
particularly through mentoring and training solicitors
- Actively participate in identifying and driving continuous
improvement
- Lead the implementation of the strategy of the legal team and
communicate consistently with the strategy
- Provide strategic legal advice to enable the organisation to
achieve its objectives
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IN-CONFIDENCE
Key Result area Key Accountabilities
Being part of the Oranga
Tamariki team
- Actively and positively participate as a member of the team
- Proactively look for opportunities to improve the operations of
Oranga Tamariki
- Perform any other duties as needed by Oranga Tamariki
- Comply with and support all health and safety policies,
guidelines, and initiatives
- Ensure all incidents, injuries and near misses are reported into
our H&S reporting tool
- Comply with all legislative and regulatory requirements, and
report any breaches as soon as they become known
- Adhere to all Oranga Tamariki procedures, policies, guidelines,
and standards of integrity and conduct
- Demonstrate a commitment to and respect for the Treaty of
Waitangi and incorporate these into your work.
KEY RELATIONSHIPS
Internal
- Chief Legal Officer
- Oranga Tamariki Legal Services Team
- Oranga Tamariki Managers
- Other Oranga Tamariki Staff
External - Tangata whenua, iwi service providers, community groups
- Relevant external agencies
- Crown Solicitor
- Crown Law
- Legal Practitioners
- The Law Society
- Government legal network colleagues
- Minister and the Minister’s office
- Office of the Privacy Commissioner
- Ombudsman’s Office
- Office of the Children’s Commissioner
- Government legal network colleagues
Position Description – Senior Solicitor – National Office – December 2022 6
IN-CONFIDENCE
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE
Qualifications - Been admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor in New Zealand and
have (or be eligible for) a practicing certificate
Knowledge and Experience
- At least 5 years PQE or equivalent
- Expertise in relevant areas of law in which Oranga Tamariki
operates
- Experience in the development of and adaptation of policy and
practice issues to ensure continuous improvement is made
- Extensive experience providing advice to clients within a
complex political environment
- Sound knowledge of the justice systems, the parliamentary
system, and Public Service administration
- Demonstrated experience working in challenging and sensitive
situations and is able to work independently and
autonomously in doing so
- Proven ability to solve problems creatively, drawing on a wide
range of resources
- Experience in the development and adaptation of policy and
practices
Skills - Excellent proven verbal, written and interpersonal
communication skills
- Demonstrated ability to communicate with a variety of
audiences and build and maintain rapport with others
- Cultural competency, understanding and appreciation of cross-
cultural issues and concerns, in particular, knowledge of the
principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, tikanga and te ao Māori, and
Pacific peoples’ culture
- Strong relationship management skills – able to establish and
maintain effective relationships with key stakeholders
- Ability to manage competing demands, prioritising work to
align with Oranga Tamariki priorities
- Able to work well autonomously and as part of a team
- Resilience when dealing with sensitive and sometimes difficult
work content
- Committed to digitalised ways of working and continual
development of digital literacy, including embracing efficient
ways of working to manage workload or caseload
- Good computing typing skills and competency working with
Microsoft Office software
Other requirements - Demonstrates initiative, drive, energy, and commitment to the
goals of Oranga Tamariki
- Willing to travel to fulfil job requirements
- Ability to occasionally work outside of normal working hours
as required
Position Description – Senior Solicitor – National Office – December 2022 7
IN-CONFIDENCE
- Holds current full drivers’ licence and is prepared and able to
be insured to drive the Ministry’s vehicles if required (if relevant
to role)