Senior Lawyer

Cornwall Council; Truro; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Join Cornwall Council as a Senior Lawyer in the Children's Social Care Team. Contribute to legal matters affecting children and young people, providing advice on care proceedings and fostering. Enjoy a supportive work environment with opportunities for professional development and flexible working arrangements.

Benefits

Competitive Salary

Relocation Package

Defined Benefit Pension Scheme

Generous Annual Leave

Employee Health and Wellbeing Programme

Employee Benefits Scheme

Qualifications

• Experience in children's social care law or keen interest in this area.
• Experience in managing complex caseloads.

Responsibilities

• Advise on care proceedings, fostering, and adoption matters.
• Provide legal advice during pre-proceedings and care proceedings.
• Support and mentor colleagues in a collaborative environment.

Skills

Communication

Organisational Skills

Collaboration

Education

Qualified Solicitor

Job description

This job is brought to you by Jobs/Redefined, the UK's leading over-50s age inclusive jobs board.

Job Description

About the Team:

At Cornwall Council, we are continuing to invest in our Legal Team, focussing on our Social Care legal function. We've now got a Senior Lawyer role in our Children's Social Care Team and we're looking for qualified and passionate lawyer to join us and to play a pivotal role in shaping and strengthening our legal function, contributing to the protection and wellbeing of children and young people.

This is an exciting time to join a supportive, respected and dynamic team as we grow and innovate to meet the evolving needs of children's services in our community.

Why You Should Join Us:

Joining Cornwall Council means more than just working in a legal role, it's a chance to build a fulfilling career with opportunities for growth and progression. We offer a flexible, supportive environment with a focus on both professional development and work-life balance. Whether through hybrid working options or flexible working hours, we ensure our team members can manage both their personal and professional commitments effectively.

Don't worry if you don't have local government experience as we'll give you the support you need to excel with us. By joining us, you will be at the forefront of building on our excellent children's legal services for Cornwall, working collaboratively with dedicated colleagues while advancing your career in a supportive environment.

As one of the largest unitary authorities in the UK, you'll be contributing to a wider team that ensures Cornwall has a strong and united voice when engaging with national government, regional agencies, and partner organisations.

About the Role:

As a dedicated Senior Lawyer in our Children's Social Care Team, you will advise on a range of matters, including care proceedings, fostering and adoption, and public law applications. You'll also get to:

• Advise on the threshold criteria for public law applications
• Provide legal advice and support during the pre-proceedings (PLO) process and in care proceedings, including Placement Order applications
• Work on private law applications (s7 & s37) and advise on matters such as parental responsibility, pupil welfare, and safeguarding
• Offer legal support to Appeal Panels particularly in school admissions and exclusions, to provide legal advice and support in SEND tribunal appeals and disability discrimination.
• Develop your advocacy skills
• Work collaboratively with colleagues to deliver innovative legal solutions to complex cases
• Support and mentor colleagues, fostering a supportive and growth-oriented environment

This role offers an opportunity to work on complex cases, representing children's interests and ensuring their legal rights are upheld, and making positive differences to young lives.

Please read the role profile for the full details of this role attached below in this advert

About You:

• A qualified solicitor (or equivalent qualification) with experience in children's social care law or a keen interest in this area
• Experience in managing complex caseloads
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to explain complex legal concepts clearly and effectively
• Excellent organisational and time management skills, with the ability to prioritise and manage competing demands
• A collaborative approach, with a commitment to team success and shared learning
• The ability to work effectively under pressure and meet strict deadlines

What you'll get in return:

Cornwall Council's ambition is to be an employer of choice, a high performing Council and a learning organisation. We commit to providing a reward and benefits package to attract, motivate and reward our employees. We offer a range of flexible working options to our staff. This helps provide our employees with a greater work/life balance whilst still ensuring that service needs are met.

Our core employee rewards and benefits include:

• a competitive salary
• a relocation package, if applicable, to support your move to Cornwall
• a defined benefit pension scheme, based on your career average earnings. This includes the option for extra voluntary contributions
• a generous annual leave entitlement with the potential to purchase additional leave
• a national award-winning employee health and wellbeing programme
• employee benefits scheme giving employees access to a wide range of discounts to local and national goods and services

Additional Information:

To find out more about the role and have an informal chat please contact Alison White 01872 322222.

Please note, we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role.

The full role profile is attached here

We recommend saving a copy of this to refer to if you are invited to an interview.

Application Process

Please attach a supporting statement to your application, you can add your Education & Qualifications details manually using the application form timeline or you can upload your CV. Remember to demonstrate why you are suitable against each of the points marked as 'Application' on the Role Profile using examples from your experience or transferable skills. This might be through qualifications or descriptive examples from your work / personal experience, which clearly illustrates what you did and the effect it had. Guidance on how to complete your application can be found here - The application process.

Please note that applications cannot be edited after they have been submitted, please contact [e-mail] if you have any queries or require assistance with your application.