Principal ASC & Education Lawyer (Technical) | Preston

Lancashire County Council; Preston; On-site; GBP 56,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

26 days annual leave

Flexible working opportunities

Health and wellbeing support

Family-friendly policies

Financial and travel benefits

Training and development opportunities

Job summary

Lancashire County Council is seeking a Principal ASC Education Lawyer (Technical) to provide expert legal advice on Adult Social Care and Education matters in Preston. You will be a senior legal professional advising stakeholders and influencing strategic decisions.

This 12-month fixed-term, full-time role offers a competitive salary, 37 hours per week, and opportunities to contribute to governance, risk management and school/ SEND matters within the council.

Qualifications

• Honours degree in a relevant discipline and admitted Solicitor or Barrister (England & Wales) with current practising certificate.
• Excellent understanding of Local Authority governance and legal frameworks.
• Extensive post-qualification experience in Adult Social Care and/or Education Law.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert legal advice and representation on Adult Social Care and Education Law matters.
• Advise, influence, shape and challenge senior level decisions to support strategic priorities.
• Collaborate with specialist Legal colleagues to support corporate priorities, governance and risk management.

Skills

communicator

seniority

stakeholder communication

Education

Qualified solicitor or barrister

Job description

Principal ASC & Education Lawyer (Technical)

Salary £55,612 to £60,147 Per annum | Fixed-Term 12 month contract, Full Time, 37 hours per week | Preston, Lancashire, United Kingdom

We're looking for a specialist Education Lawyer with a drive and passion to deliver an effective and very specialist service to our stakeholders.

The role will be on a fixed-term basis for a period of 12-months.

About The Role

As Principal ASC Education Lawyer your role will be to act as of the council's senior legal professionals providing expert legal advice and representation on Adult Social Care & Education Law matters.

You'll be heavily involved and integrated within your service area, advising, influencing, shaping and challenging at senior levels to support the delivery of strategic priorities, workforce projects and statutory functions.

You'll work alongside specialist Legal colleagues to support corporate priorities, transformation projects, workforce initiatives, service development and effective risk management, ensuring lawful and robust decision-making throughout the Council.

About You

• You'll ideally have an honours degree in a relevant discipline alongside admitted Solicitor or Barrister status (England and Wales) with a current practicing certificate
• You'll have an excellent understanding and experience of operating within the legal frameworks and requirements of Local Authority governance
• You'll have extensive previous post-qualification professional experience within Adult Social Care and/or Education Law
• Excellent previous experience of advising Local Authorities or Public Sector organisations on Adult Social Care and/or Education law matters
• Experience of managing complex Education litigation and dispute resolution processes.
• Experience of advising on SEND law, school admissions, exclusions, safeguarding and school governance.
• You'll possess the drive to be on the front line providing Legal advice and guidance
• You'll be an excellent communicator able and comfortable communicating with a range of stakeholders at all levels

About Us

At Lancashire County Council, we're committed to delivering services that make a real difference to the people and communities we serve. Our Information Governance Team is at the heart of that mission, helping ensure transparency, accountability and the responsible use of information.

When you join us, you'll become part of a supportive and knowledgeable team where your expertise is valued, your development is encouraged and your contribution has a direct impact across the organisation.

In Return, We Offer

• Competitive salary
• 26 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Flexible working opportunities
• Health and wellbeing support
• Family-friendly policies
• Financial and travel benefits
• Training and development opportunities

Local Government Reorganisation

The Government has confirmed that local government across Lancashire will be reorganised, with the current 15 councils being replaced by four new unitary councils covering North, South, East and West Lancashire from April 2028.

If you are successful in your application, you will initially join Lancashire County Council. However, as part of the planned transition, your employment will transfer to one of the new unitary councils from April 2028, subject to the implementation of the reorganisation and relevant employment legislation.

Throughout this period, our focus remains on delivering excellent services to our communities. By joining us now, you'll play an important role in shaping the future of local government and helping to build a strong new organisation that will serve residents for years to come.