Job Introduction
We are looking to recruit a qualified Solicitor/Legal Executive/Barrister undertaking general childcare casework and some advocacy. This is ideal if you have some childcare experience in private practice but now want to start your career in local government or if you are newly qualified in local government and are looking for a new challenge.
- Permanent opportunities to join our friendly and supportive childcare legal services team with:
- Flexible working arrangements
- Great benefits
- Forward-thinking team with lots of experience to share
- Good reputation
You must have qualified as a Solicitor, or a Fellow of CILEX (and therefore eligible to be called a ‘Legal Executive’) or be a qualified Barrister. You will undertake reasonably complex legal case work relevant to length of experience/job requirements and the workload must be clearly and consistently in excess of the general level of complexity dealt with at Lawyer 4. Full case load/chargeable hours target (i.e. 1350 hours for a FTE). There is no minimum requirement for additional post qualification experience over and above that entailed in obtaining the requisite legal qualification for the post. You must however have a reasonable understanding of County Council procedures and will normally require significantly more supervision and professional support than Lawyer 6 (particularly initially). In the absence of exceptional circumstances, the post does not entail any formal supervision responsibilities in respect of other team members and the post holder will therefore not be responsible for carrying out any workload reviews, or MPCs, or return to work interviews. However, you will be expected to (firstly) pass on some work elements of their own case files to other fee earners where this can be achieved with minimum support and assistance and (secondly) participate in the training and guidance of other more junior staff in the same team. Cover for other colleagues in same team during periods of holiday etc.
Staffordshire Legal Services is a support service within the Corporate Services Directorate. It provides quality services, within resources, promoting Staffordshire County Council’s pursuit of excellence.
Staffordshire Legal Services also provides services to a range of external clients which are effective, customer friendly and provide value for money.
We endeavour to deliver by taking into account our customer commitments, our values and our individual targets.
Main Responsibility
- The conduct of child care litigation and legal advice on issues related to children.
- Legal advice on certain aspects of social services law relating to adults and the conduct of litigation on social services matters.
- Miscellaneous litigation.
- Adherence to the Legal Services Unit’s quality standards (Lexcel) including time-recording and contributing to the process of securing re-accreditation as and when.
- To undertake in-service training as required by the training plan and to participate in the in-service training of other staff.
- To comply with employee’s health and safety responsibilities.
- Such other duties as may reasonably be required, including complaint investigations.
The Ideal Candidate
Applications are invited from an enthusiastic, innovative, suitably qualified and experienced Chartered Legal Executive, Solicitor or Barrister for an opportunity that has arisen for a to join our large, experienced and friendly Childcare Team.
The ideal candidate will also be an excellent communicator who is able to prioritise a varied workload. Self-organisation skills and an eye for detail will also by key. You will be expected to conduct and manage your own caseload with supervision. You must be able to communicate effectively with members, senior officers and clients.
For more information about this role please contact: Team Senior Solicitor, Robin Longhurst on 01785 276179.
About Staffordshire County Council
We are no ordinary county council:
Our Values:
The core of who we are as an organisation. Just like we all have personal values that shape our thoughts and behaviour, organisational values drive how we think and act collectively.
Our values were created and shaped by colleague feedback and national best practice and they sit at the heart of People Strategy:
We have a real sense of community spirit that brings our people together. This feeling of belonging means we are all connected to what we do and take pride in the difference we make every day for Staffordshire people. We are ambitious and our sights are set firmly on a better future.
We look forward and race ahead - that goes for your career too.
Our benefits:
We recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive working environment where employees can achieve their full potential and achieve a healthy work-life balance.
In addition to your salary, as a member of staff, you will have access to a range of benefits.
Our recruitment process:
As an Authority we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
Staffordshire County Council is an equal opportunities organisation and Disability Confident employer. We encourage applications from all background and communities
As part of our commitment as a Disability Confident employer, a Silver Award Armed Forces employer and our commitment to supporting care leavers - we offer a guaranteed interview as long as your application meets the minimum criteria for the post.
