Senior Lawyer Child Protection

Peterborough City Council; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 52,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave + bank holidays

Sick pay

LGPS pension scheme

Employee Benefits Platform

Cycle to Work

Home & Electronics schemes

Car lease scheme

Flexible bank holidays

Volunteer hours

Equality & inclusion network

Recognition awards

Job summary

Peterborough City Council invites applications for a Senior Lawyer – Child Protection. The role sits within the Legal Services team and focuses on advice across child protection, drafting orders, and high-quality advocacy.

You will manage a busy caseload including court proceedings and pre-proceedings, contributing to service excellence for Children’s Services and external authorities. Ideal candidates will have at least five years in child protection or broad family law experience, and be

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years' experience in child protection or substantial exposure to family law.
• Experience in a local authority setting is advantageous.
• Qualified solicitor or barrister with current practising certificate or Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives.

Responsibilities

• Provide advice on all areas of child protection.
• Draft and prepare applications for various orders.
• Demonstrate excellent advocacy skills.
• Manage a caseload of cases in court proceedings, as well as pre-proceedings and advice files.

Skills

Child protection

Family law

Advocacy

Legal advising

Court proceedings

Education

Qualified solicitor or barrister

Job description

Senior Lawyer Child Protection

Peterborough

Cambridgeshire

GB

PE1 1

Are you looking to be part of a forward-thinking and innovative legal team with a reputation for excellent service delivery? Now is the perfect time to become a part of Peterborough City Council's Legal Service – let's make a difference together!

All about the Role

We are seeking a confident, skilled, experienced, and motivated lawyer to join our Child Protection team in Legal Services. Our team currently includes one Principal lawyer, four Senior lawyers, and four Legal Officers. In this role, you will provide advice on all areas of child protection, draft and prepare applications for various orders, and demonstrate excellent advocacy skills. You will manage a caseload of cases in Court proceedings, as well as pre-proceedings and advice files.

A minimum of 5 years' experience in child protection or extensive experience in family law is required, and experience working in a local authority is advantageous. You must be a qualified solicitor or barrister with a current practising certificate or a Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives. You will join a friendly and supportive team that excels in delivering services to all teams within Children's Services and to an external client authority.

All About Our Team

The Legal Department at Peterborough City Council is a robust team of around 50 officers, divided into four sections: Planning & Property, Commercial, Contracts & Procurement, Child Protection, and Litigation (which also includes Adult Social Care and Employment). Our team comprises lawyers, legal officers, and our newly appointed Head of Legal, supported by administrative staff to ensure efficient service delivery.

We not only serve our internal PCC client departments with a range of support across various service areas but also provide external legal support to other Local Authorities. We value our colleagues and have developed a number of benefits in addition to our generous annual leave starting at 25 days + bank holidays, sick pay, and the local government pension scheme.

• Access to a range of benefits via our Employee Benefits Platform, including in-store and online discounts as well as our Cycle to Work and Home & Electronics schemes
• Buy up to 10 days additional annual leave (pro-rata)
• Access to car lease scheme
• Take your bank holidays flexibly to better suit your personal circumstances
• Make Additional Voluntary Contributions (Shared Cost AVCs) to your pension with tax and National Insurance savings
• Access to development opportunities including apprenticeships to support your personal and professional growth
• Paid volunteering hours each year so you can make a positive impact on our community during your normal working day
• Access to our equality, diversity, and inclusion network
• Opportunities to receive Employee Recognition Awards

Our Commitments

We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer, dedicated to fostering diversity, advancing equity, and building an inclusive workplace for everyone. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and particularly encourage those from underrepresented groups, including disabled people, care leavers, and individuals from minority ethnic communities. Your unique perspectives and experiences are encouraged and valued and will play a vital role in our success.

We are committed to making our recruitment process as accessible as possible. If you are a person who has or considers yourself to have a disability and you require reasonable adjustments to the application or interview process, please contact #####.

Appointment to this post will be subject to the outcome of an Enhanced Disclosure obtained through the Disclosure and Barring Service. The Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Sand Martin House, Bittern Way, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, UK, PE2 8TY

Jemma T Recruitment and Retention Officer

Access to a range of benefits, including in-store and online discounts as well as our Cycle to Work and Home & Electronics schemes. Find out more about our benefits, ways of working and commitment to your wellbeing.