Legal Services Supervisor

**Supervisor, Legal Services**

**Hours: 35 hrs/wk.**

**Location: 30 College St., Toronto**

**Range: $122,661-$147,197**

**Classification: FT Regular**

**Position: NON-BU**

**Summary**:
Native Child and Family Services of Toronto strives to provide a life of quality, well-being, caring and healing for our children and families in the Toronto Indigenous Community. We do this by creating a service model that is culture-based and respects the values of Indigenous people, the extended family, and the right to self-determination and through the integration of holistic, culturally based prevention services that are child centred, family focused, and community driven.

**Primary Responsibilities**:
Under the direction of the Director, Child and Family Wellbeing the Supervisor, Legal Services will provide ongoing support, direction and leadership to a team of legal and legal support staff, to ensure the effective delivery of child welfare legal services on behalf of Native Child & Family Services of Toronto
- To develop effective policies, systems and procedures that govern all Legal activities within the agency, and monitor to ensure that they are complied with consistently.
- Manages the agency’s family court legal activities, as well as determining work priorities and assigning workload and coverage for counsel and legal support staff. Generally, the supervisor carries 1/3 of the court cases, other counsel carries the remainder of the court cases.
- Hires; trains; manages and evaluates the performance of the Legal team members.
- Collaborates with the Director of Child and Family Wellbeing (CFWB) in providing training and support to legal services staff and evaluating their performance.
- Provides professional guidance and consultation, interpretation and direction on legal issues to NCFST staff as required.
- Ensures the delivery of legal training for Agency staff, developing training curriculum and participating in the delivery of training.
- Attends meetings with presiding Justices, Senior Administrative Justice and Senior Regional Justice as required.
- Liaises with Family court Justices and the offices of Crown, Toronto City Police, Ontario Legal Aid, Children’s Lawyer’s Office Duty Counsel, Court Administration, Court Security, Peel Courts as required, OACAS and ANAFSCO and other community resources on issues pertaining to Native Child & Family Services of Toronto.
- Review all proposed legislation, legal decisions and other government policy statements which may have an effect upon the operational capacity of the agency
- Manages the requests for names to be removed from the Child Abuse Register; complaints to the Child and Family Services Board and the Information and Privacy Commissioner [in conjunction with the agency privacy lead]
- To monitor and control those budget items assigned to this position in accordance with the approved agency budget, service plan and signing authority policy.
- To manage any and all other relevant projects and tasks assigned to this position.

**Qualifications, Knowledge and Skills**:

- Law degree [LLB or JD] from a university of recognized standing.
- Member in good standing of the Law Society of Ontario
- A minimum of 5 years experience in the practice of law in the Child Welfare field, preferably in working with the Aboriginal community.
- the Child, Youth and Family Services Act and Regulations,
- the Family Law Rules,
- the federal _Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families_,
- caselaw pertaining to Indigenous child welfare issues,
- the impact of colonization, residential schools, the 60’s scoop and systemic racism on Indigenous family structures and intergenerational trauma
- findings/recommendations from the MMIWG Inquiry and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission,
- knowledge of agency policies and procedures;
- A thorough knowledge of case preparation, presentation and litigation processes.
- Supervisory and leadership skills
- Demonstrated ability to prioritize work
- Demonstrated analytical and problem-solving skills

**To apply**, please provide:

- Cover letter outlining how you how meet the qualifications of the role.
- Current resume and include three work related references
- Proof of Vaccination. NCFST employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, absent of a valid medical exemption or other reasonable consideration pursuant to the Human Rights Code of Ontario.
- As a multi-service urban Aboriginal agency providing holistic, culture-based programs and services to Aboriginal children, and families, NCFST will give priority to applicants who identify as First Nations, Inuit, Metis, and those with close affiliations.
- NCFST is committed to providing a barrier-free work environment in accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and the Ontario Human Rights Code. As such, NCFST will make accommodations available to applicants with disabilities upon request during the