Principal Lawyer - Children and/or Adult Safeguarding

Kirklees Metropolitan Council; West Yorkshire; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A local authority legal team is seeking qualified Principal Lawyers to handle cases related to child safeguarding and adult social care. The ideal candidate will be a qualified Solicitor or Barrister, or a Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives, with experience in public law. The role involves preparing court cases and providing advocacy support. Benefits include generous leave, a local government pension, and a hybrid working model.

Benefits

28.5 days annual leave increasing to 32.5

Cycle to work scheme

Travel and parking discounts

Exceptional Maternity and Paternity leave

Local Government Pension

Access to Employee Healthcare

Qualifications

• Qualified Solicitor/Barrister with a current practissing certificate.
• Ability to draft complex court documents.
• Experience in public law children act proceedings.

Responsibilities

• Prepare cases for court using case management systems.
• Appear as an advocate and instruct counsel as necessary.
• Work with the council’s social work teams.

Skills

Experience with Children Act 1989

Experience with Advocacy

Experience with Care Act 2014

Experience with Public Law

Education

Qualified Solicitor or Barrister

Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives

Job description

This position is being advertised for Principal Lawyers with optional areas of focus.

• Principal Lawyer – Adult Focus
• Principal Lawyer – Children Focus
• Principal Lawyer – Combined Focus (Adults and Children)

In your application please specify which focus you are applying for.

Do you want to make a difference to local people?

As one of the largest legal practices in the area, our dedicated Legal Service teams strive to get the best outcomes for people in Kirklees.

The team

The Safeguarding Children and Adults Team is one of the specialist teams within Kirklees Legal Services.

We act for the council on a range of matters including Public Law Proceedings relating to children and cases in relation to vulnerable adults in the Court of Protection. We work closely with the council’s social work teams who provide services to vulnerable children and adults.

The role

As part of this role you will be expected to prepare cases for court using our excellent case management and court bundling systems. You will also appear as an advocate and instruct counsel where required, specifically within the field of child safeguarding and/or adult social care and safeguarding.

We are looking for someone with a positive approach who enjoys working as part of a team. You will be supported by our Senior Lawyers, Assistant Legal Officers and Business Support team.

Development

If you are ambitious to develop your skills and knowledge in legal services, and want to know more about the legal issues that affect local authorities – this is the role for you. We put a strong emphasis on training and personal development, and want to support you to be the best you can be.

What you will bring

You will be a qualified Solicitor (or Barrister) holding a current practising certificate, or you will be a Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives who holds a Civil Proceedings Certificate (or who is a Legal Executive Advocate).

You will also have the ability and experience of drafting application forms and complex court documentation to support Local Authority applications in public law children act proceedings and applications in the Court of Protection.

Do you have any experience in the following areas?

We are looking for someone with experience in at least one of the following areas, but experience in more than one area would be beneficial.

• Children Act 1989 – Public & Private Law Applications
• Adoption and Children Act 2002 – Public & Private Law Applications
• Care Act 2014
• Mental Health Act 1983, Community Care, Mental Capacity Act
• Advocacy in public & private children proceedings
• Advocacy in public or private law adoption or special guardianship applications
• Judicial Review/Administrative Law

Your benefits

Kirklees Council offers these benefits to all its employees:

• 28.5 days annual leave increasing to 32.5 after 5 years’ service (plus bank holidays).
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Travel and parking discounts
• Exceptional Maternity and Paternity leave policies
• Local Government Pension
• Access to Employee Healthcare that offers a range of services from counselling to physiotherapy and health assessments.
• Hybrid working

Learn more about Kirklees Council Staff Benefits.

Got questions?

If you would like to have an informal discussion about this role, please telephone Margaret Miller who is Head of the Safeguarding Children and Adults Legal Team on 01484 221 000.

To apply please click the Apply Now link below.