Are you looking for an exciting career opportunity? Then come and join our 20 strong childcare legal team and work in a supportive friendly environment enjoying the dedicated support of your own legal officer.

This post is eligible for attraction supplements of up to 15% of annual gross salary available for up to 2 years.

Do you have experience of handling a busy and varied caseload? Can you demonstrate good technical skills? Do you command the respect and trust of colleagues and clients? Are you a problem solver? If so, then we want you to join our growing friendly, supportive and well respected team.

Areas of Practice: Public childcare law, including pre-proceedings, care proceedings, fostering and adoption. Do you have experience in this field or can you evidence good transferable skills (including advocacy) to move into this fast-paced area of the law? Is this the exciting new challenge you have been looking for?

The ideal Candidate will be a qualified Solicitor, Barrister, Legal Executive or a lawyer with equivalent experience who has a thorough understanding and working knowledge of public law child care proceedings and be confident in undertaking advocacy or they will be able to evidence they have good transferable skills to develop into this role & area of the law.

The post is offered on a permanent basis and the successful candidate will be required to be flexible, customer focused, a team player and able to apply skills innovatively and proactively.

Specific Duties include:

• Handling a caseload of public law childcare matters, both pre-proceedings and within proceedings and to work in accordance with the Public Law Outline;
• Providing oral and written legal advice to the client department, including to Heads of Service and Assistant Director level, on all matters relating to the Authority's duties in relation to safeguarding children and regulated services;
• Drafting applications, statements and any practice direction documentation;
• Conducting advocacy within the Family Court before all levels of the judiciary, on both contested and non-contested hearings;
• Playing an active role in developing and delivering training to the client department and members of the Council.

Famous for its stunning cathedral and impressive castle which still functions as a court dispensing justice as it has for over 900 years, the medieval quarter is a great contrast to the lively and youthful feel of this University city. We care about our staff so we want to offer you a competitive salary, an attraction supplement, generous holidays and access to our pension scheme. It is important to us that you have an excellent work/life balance and the opportunity to further develop your knowledge and skills in a supportive Local Authority setting where no two days are ever the same!

Applicants must be lawyers who hold relevant qualifications or have equivalent experience. Please see the attached post outline as well as the Job Description for more specific detail on this post.

Interviews are provisionally scheduled for the week commencing 8th April 2019.

If these roles interest you please call Jodie Ogden for an informal chat on 01522 552582 as she is keen to hear from you.