Senior Childcare Lawyer

Sellick Partnership (Legal) Limited; England; On-site; GBP 51,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a Senior Childcare Lawyer to join their innovative legal team in Northamptonshire. This role offers a unique opportunity to provide expert advice and representation in childcare law while working in a supportive and ambitious environment. You will manage a diverse caseload, engage in advocacy, and contribute to the development of policies that impact the community. With a commitment to professional growth and a flexible work-life balance, this position is perfect for those looking to make a meaningful difference in public service. Join a dynamic team dedicated to improving lives and shaping the future of childcare law.

Benefits

Generous annual leave (28 days, rising to 33)

Local Government Pensions Scheme

Flexible working options

Access to development courses and mentoring

Employee Assistance Programme

Wellbeing support

Employee Benefits Scheme

Active Employee Network Groups

Qualifications

• Qualified Solicitor, barrister, or FCILEx required.
• Public sector childcare case handling experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide childcare advice to clients and manage a caseload of child protection cases.
• Advise on policy and develop your specialism with support.

Skills

Childcare Law

Public Sector Experience

Advocacy Skills

Relationship Building

Communication Skills

Team Management

Education

Qualified Solicitor

Barrister

FCILEx

Job description

Senior Childcare Lawyer

Salary: £51,802 - 55,044 per annum

Location: Northamptonshire

Working: Hybrid

Closing Date: Friday 17th January 2025

About the Senior Childcare Lawyer role:

Sellick Partnership is proud to be working with an exceptional legal services team in the heart of Northamptonshire. We are looking for a Senior Childcare Lawyer to join the growing Legal team at North Northamptonshire Council to provide advice and representation to the Council in all areas of childcare law.

North Northamptonshire Council is an ambitious, exciting, innovative and supportive place to work. The Council is committed to focused service delivery to improve the lives of their residents. Working for the benefit of the public and having a team ethos is at the heart of the culture, their values make them who they are: customer-focused, respectful, efficient, supportive, and trustworthy.

As a Senior Childcare Lawyer, you will be supported by the senior leadership team in a growing team of professionals. The team's focus is on enabling service delivery, adopting a partnering model with their clients, supporting them to deliver an ambitious agenda for North Northampton.

North Northamptonshire Council is committed to developing, nurturing, and growing talent from legal assistants to the managers of the future. As a unitary authority, the opportunities are varied and broad providing a unique opportunity to shape processes and grow with the Council as it develops.

Key responsibilities of the Senior Childcare Lawyer role:

• Provide general and specialist childcare advice on behalf of the Council to clients, colleagues and elected members and senior officers.
• Manage a caseload in relation to the full range of child protection cases, including attendance at court and undertaking advocacy where required.
• Advising on policy, strategy and procedures relating to childcare issues.
• Develop your specialism with the support of like-minded people and an experienced team around you.

Ideal requirements for the Senior Childcare Lawyer role include:

We are looking for candidates with previous public sector childcare case handling and advocacy experience and exceptional relationship building, networking, and influencing skills. Experience in management of a team of lawyers and administration staff or relevant transferable experience is ideal, whilst having strong communication and presentation skills are paramount.

You will need to be a qualified Solicitor, barrister or FCILEx to apply but we are open minded to speaking with candidates of all childcare law backgrounds from the public sector to private practice.

Benefits of the Senior Childcare Lawyer role:

• Annual leave: generous leave entitlement of 28 days (rising to 33 days), and bank holidays; plus the option to buy up to an extra 10 days.
• Local Government Pensions Scheme: considered to be one of the best employer contribution rates.
• A flexible work-life balance: flexible working options including working from home where possible and smarter working arrangements.
• Training and support: access to development courses, mentoring and support and clear career pathways.
• A diverse and experienced team with a wealth of public law knowledge and talent.
• This role provides variety in what you do, challenging and high-impact cases to work on, the opportunity to work for the benefit of the wider public and the chance to progress your career within a progressive legal service, where you will learn from some talented and experienced professionals.
• A range of great benefits: such as an Employee Assistance Programme, an Employee Benefits Scheme, wellbeing support, travel rates at HMRC rates, as well as supporting a range of active Employee Network Groups.

How to apply for the Senior Childcare Lawyer role:

To apply, please submit your CV and/or cover letter via this page or alternatively, contact Lewis Dainty in the Sellick Partnership Manchester office.

Sellick Partnership is proud to be an inclusive and accessible recruitment business and we support applications from candidates of all backgrounds and circumstances.