Elizabeth Okinda

Senior public law expertise brought directly into your matter — or your team.

• —Drafting of grounds and skeleton-style analysis on complex public law issues, where the instructed firm requires senior specialist input.
• —In-house training delivered personally to your team on responding to local authority applications, Interim Care Orders, contact applications, secure accommodation, and DoLS applications.
• —Training available as half-day, full-day or modular programmes, commissioned at a project fee.
• —Strategic advisory engagement alongside a matter — available per instruction or on a standing retainer basis.

Senior-level JR drafting for instructed firms to settle, file and advance.

• —Drafting of statements of facts and grounds — produced for your firm to settle and file as solicitor on the record.
• —Drafting of summary grounds of defence and detailed grounds, where acting for a local authority defendant.
• —Strategic advice across the full JR lifecycle: permission, substantive hearing, settlement and costs.
• —Skeleton argument and chronology drafting support.

Precise, written analysis of public law risk — delivered within a defined timescale.

• —JR risk advisory notes identifying vulnerabilities, anchored to case law and SRA-quality drafting standards.
• —Pre-action protocol response drafting on contested decisions: age assessment, EHCP, NRPF, homelessness and care leaver matters.
• —Quality assurance review of statutory assessments and decision letters.
• —Strategic advice on settlement, withdrawal and consent in defended judicial review matters.
• —Interim consultancy support — covering peaks in demand or specific matters within your team.
• —Consultancy retainer for committed days per month.

⏱ JR risk advisory notes: 5–10 working days

Merton-compliance review and procedural fairness analysis — from the solicitor who has conducted this work at volume.

• —Merton-compliance review of completed assessments, identifying specific vulnerabilities and litigation exposure.
• —Advisory support on abbreviated age assessment methodology and procedural fairness requirements.
• —Pre-Action Protocol response drafting in contested age assessment matters.
• —Document and template development: assessment templates, decision letters and quality assurance frameworks.

⏱ Merton-compliance reviews: 7 working days

Full hearing advocacy and drafting support in the First-tier Tribunal (SEND) — available on instruction from your firm.

• —Full hearing advocacy in the First-tier Tribunal (SEND).
• —Witness preparation for parents, SENCOs, educational psychologists and therapy providers.
• —Strategic advice on settlement, mediation and consent.
• —Fixed-fee package for full SEND appeal (drafting, case management, hearing).
• —Day-rate hearing advocacy where your firm has built the case and requires a specialist advocate.

Precise ECHR analysis in safeguarding and public law contexts — practically applied.

• —Drafting and review of Human Rights Assessments under the Care Act 2014 / NRPF framework.
• —Article 3, 6, 8 and 14 ECHR analysis in safeguarding and public law contexts.
• —Strategic advisory work on matters with a Modern Slavery Act or Article 4 ECHR dimension.

Specialist training designed and delivered personally by Elizabeth — not a generic CPD provider.

• —Bespoke programmes for private law firm teams on public law children matters, local authority decision-making, and the safeguarding legal framework.
• —Simulation-based workshops on Section 20 conversations, Human Rights Assessments, age assessment Brief Enquiry methodology and panel decisions.
• —Available in half-day, full-day or modular formats — commissioned at a project fee.