Job Introduction
Situated in the heart of the Midlands with fantastic transport links, Staffordshire County Council is a progressive and forward thinking authority. Demographically large but singularly focused on being one County Council, you will find that the Legal Services department is a friendly and supportive team which encourages growth and development and which embodies the values, vision and beliefs of the Council.
The post holder must have a minimum of 4 years or other demonstrable post legal qualification experience of complex legal casework. The post involves litigation in a wide variety of areas including Trading Standards. This post can entail the supervision of other staff (upon request) by way of providing support and appropriate management of junior colleagues.
The post holder must be able to undertake their own advocacy alongside casework in all areas of litigation undertaken by the Council including prosecutions.
The post holder must have a clean current driving licence. This is essential for the job as attendance at court is required at a number of courts in Staffordshire and the West Midlands.
There are a number of benefits to working at Staffordshire County Council including generous holiday entitlement, flexi time, annual leave purchase scheme, employee discounts, local government pension scheme, optional car lease scheme and a staff parking discount scheme.
We understand the importance of a work-life balance and currently offer remote working with attendance at our Stafford office on flexible patterns and in accordance with business need. We are also happy to consider requests for part-time working.
Main Responsibility
Responsibilities will include:
- Completing all aspects of prosecution and civil litigation casework, including complex cases and providing advice, drafting court paperwork and undertaking appropriate court hearings
- Conducting advocacy in court in Litigation matters (both civil and criminal)
- Delivering on key projects in order to meet the objectives of the team and in order to improve service delivery
- Adherence to the Legal Services Unit’s quality standards (Lexcel) including time-recording in order to maintain professional standards
- To undertake in-service training as required by the training plan and to facilitate in-service training of staff members/client department
- To handle confidential data sensitively and securely in accordance with policy
The Ideal Candidate
We are looking for a qualified Chartered Legal Executive, Solicitor or Barrister with:
- A comprehensive understanding of prosecutions and civil litigation
- An in-depth understanding of the work done by this public sector, although previous local government experience is not essential
- An ability to clearly, confidently and effectively communicate
- Meticulous attention to detail
- Effective time management, prioritisation skills and an ability to work under the demands of competing pressures
- An ability to delegate work in order to generate capacity
If you are unsure if your skills and experience are suitable for this role or for an informal chat please contact Lucy Daniels, Team Senior on 01785 278310 or at lucy.daniels@staffordshire.gov.uk
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.
