Lawyer (Civil Litigation)

Care Quality Commission; Leeds; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A public health oversight body in Leeds is seeking a Lawyer to provide legal advice, support regulatory enforcement, and coach junior team members. The ideal candidate will have a legal qualification and significant experience in health and social care regulation, with responsibilities including managing legal caseloads and building effective relationships within the organization. This role offers competitive annual leave, training opportunities, and a strong pension scheme.

Benefits

Annual leave starting at 27 days per year

Training and development opportunities

Wellbeing initiatives like gym discounts

NHS pension scheme with around 14% employer contribution

Discount schemes and reward vouchers

Qualifications

• 2 years post-qualification experience or substantial relevant experience in health and social care regulation.
• Experience managing legal caseloads, advising on enforcement activity.
• Proven ability to build relationships and support colleagues.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert legal advice to support teams across CQC.
• Coach and supervise Trainees and Paralegals.
• Build strong relationships across CQC to embed legal thinking.

Skills

Legal qualification and experience

Casework and enforcement expertise

Collaborative working

Education

Solicitor, Barrister, or Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives

Job description

Overview

Every role at CQC contributes to our mission. If you're looking for a new role in Legal Services that gives a true sense of meaning and purpose, then you've found it! As a Lawyer, you'll help ensure our decisions are legally sound and support our work to improve health and social care across England. Imagine being part of a team that helps shape how health and care services are held to account, offering legal advice that directly influences national policy and enforcement decisions. At CQC as a Lawyer in the civil litigation team within the Legal Services Directorate, you might get the chance to:

• Lead on complex legal casework that supports regulatory enforcement and protects public safety.
• Support Senior Lawyers on complex Judicial Review claims.
• Deliver training and legal awareness sessions that empower teams across CQC to make informed, lawful decisions.

The role

In this role, you'll be key in helping us deliver our work. You'll:

• Provide expert legal advice: Support teams across CQC with clear, solutions-focused guidance that helps manage legal risks.
• Support and develop others: Coach and supervise Trainees, and Paralegals to build capability within the team.
• Collaborate and influence: Build strong relationships across CQC to embed legal thinking into everyday decision-making.

We welcome applications from everyone, and colleagues can find support and community among our many employee networks. This includes people of any:

• Age
• Sex
• Gender identity or expression
• Sexual orientation
• Religion or belief
• Ethnicity
• Disability

Values and vision

We are guided by our core values, which shape our work and our culture.

• Excellence - being a high-performing organisation.
• Caring - treating everyone with dignity and respect.
• Integrity - doing the right thing.
• Teamwork - learning from each other to be the best we can. We are a disability confident employer and a carer confident employer.

Note on AI

Please consider these points if you use AI or chatbots for your application:

• AI can support research, structuring and refining your writing, but your application must reflect your real skills and experience.
• Spell-checking and condensing word counts are good ways to use AI effectively.
• Do not copy and paste AI-generated answers. These will not help you stand out; we want to hear about your skills and experience.
• Providing false or insincere examples goes against our core values of honesty and integrity and may lead to your application being withdrawn or termination of employment.

Qualifications and experience

• Legal qualification and experience: You'll be a qualified Solicitor, Barrister, or Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives, with either 2 years post-qualification experience or substantial relevant experience in health and social care regulation.
• Casework and enforcement expertise: Experience managing legal caseloads, advising on enforcement activity, and presenting complex legal information clearly. Experience of First-tier Tribunal appeals, Judicial Review claims and other relevant litigation experience will be beneficial.
• Collaborative working: Proven ability to build relationships, support colleagues, and contribute to shared goals in a fast-paced environment.

Benefits

• Annual leave starting at 27 days per year, rising to 32.5 days with service, plus bank holidays (usually 8 days per year).
• Training and development opportunities.
• Wellbeing initiatives, such as gym discounts and meditation.
• NHS pension scheme, with around 14% employer contribution.
• Discount schemes (including eligibility for a Blue Light card, at a cost of £4.99 and valid for 2 years), reward vouchers, car leasing and more!