Senior Legal Officer

Old Moat; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A local council in Manchester seeks an experienced Senior Legal Officer to provide legal representation and assist with third-party requests for social care disclosure. This role offers flexible working hours and opportunities for professional development within a supportive team environment. Ideal candidates will have relevant legal qualifications and experience in Family, Civil, or Criminal Law.

Benefits

Generous holiday allowance

Local government pension scheme

Enhanced parental and carers leave

Learning opportunities

Up to 3 days volunteering leave

Qualifications

• Experience working in a legal support role both providing legal support to lawyers and managing your own casework.
• Communicating effectively in writing and verbally to clients.

Responsibilities

• Providing legal representation and advice regarding third-party requests for disclosure.
• Managing own caseload and ensuring data is organized for analysis.

Skills

Family, Civil or Criminal Disclosure

Data Protection Law

Family and/or Criminal Law

Excellent communication skills

Organizational skills

Education

Law degree or equivalent legal qualification

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Job description

About The Role

Working hours: 35 hours per week, offering flexible and agile working. Contract type: Permanent. Closing date: 11.59 pm, 3 December 2025. Interview type: in person. This role is subject to:

• Qualification: You must have one of the following; law degree, CILEX Professional Diploma in Law (Level 3), or equivalent legal qualification.
• DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) clearance – this post is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (amended in 2013). Appointable candidates will be required to apply for a Standard Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. Information provided by you or the DBS will be dealt with in a confidential manner and in accordance with the DBS Code of Practice.

Put your legal experience to work for Manchester

Are you an experienced Legal Officer or Paralegal? The innovative and dedicated Disclosure Team within the Children and Families Legal Group has a vacancy for a Senior Legal Officer; this rare opportunity to join an established team has arisen due to internal promotion.

In this role you will be providing legal representation, advice and assistance in relation to third‑party requests for disclosure of social care and education records. You will enjoy a varied workload which will include working with the Police and CPS, dealing with court‑ordered disclosure and advising Children’s and Adults Social Care and Education Services on specialist areas of law such as Public Interest Immunity, data protection and information sharing. Our work extends to providing support on data for Social Work England investigations and responding to requests from the Criminal Case Review Commission. This role would suit someone from a Family Law, Criminal Law or Data Protection background and will include a full induction and training opportunities during that period, as required.

You will also play an important role assisting with the collection and organisation of data, from various internal sources and systems, ensuring that the data is clean and ready for use and analysis both internally and for clients.

At the heart of everything we do is:

• a) the safety and needs of children and vulnerable adults
• b) high‑quality representation of Children’s Services.

You will be part of the Children and Families Legal Group which has a focus on growing our already effective team of lawyers, legal officers and business support team who produce incredible, outstanding results with an enhanced vision for the future. We understand the emotional complexity of family law and the importance of resilience and compassion. That’s why we foster a culture of teamwork, shared learning, and mutual support—so you’re never facing challenges alone. Aligning ourselves with Children’s Services to deliver safe, efficient, and effective services to families, our Senior Legal Officers will help us in delivering on our data protection and information sharing statutory responsibilities. Highly valued by our clients, our excellent relationships and continual looking for better ways of doing things and achieving greater heights produces an innovative, responsive, inclusive, and transparent legal service.

This is a great opportunity for someone looking to develop their legal skills whilst working for one of the largest childcare teams in the country. Legal work for public services in Manchester, Salford and Rochdale Councils and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority puts you among the few practitioners in England’s first, and biggest, devolved region, where major decisions are now taken in‑house rather than in Whitehall and by NHS administrations.

We offer our team members flexible start and finish times with an effective hybrid working‑practice model. There’s opportunity for development in the role thanks to the way our teams practise in our Lexcel accredited and supported legal service.

For an informal discussion, please contact the hiring manager, Chris Wall, at 0161 600 8813 and [e-mail] to arrange a convenient time to discuss the role.

About the Candidate

Are your skills and legal mind being rewarded? Do you work together as part of a supportive team? Is your work wide‑ranging and varied? Are you achieving your goals? We would love to hear from you if you have experience of:

• Family, Civil or Criminal Disclosure
• Data Protection Law
• Family and/or Criminal Law

You will be someone who works well as part of a team but equally can plan and complete your own work with minimal supervision. You will have your own caseload so the ability to manage your time effectively is essential. You will be someone who has excellent communications skills, both written and verbal, as you will need to draft legal documentation and provide advice to our clients. You will also represent the local authority at regular meetings with our key stakeholders, such as the police and Crown Prosecution Service.

As part your application, please submit your Curriculum Vitae and detailed Personal Statement setting out how your skills and experience meet the requirements below and on the attached role profile.

Essential requirements for the role

• Experience working in a legal support role both providing legal support to lawyers and managing your own casework.
• Excellent Microsoft Excel skills.
• Planning and Organisational skills.
• Problem Solving and Decision Making.
• Analytical Skills.
• Interpersonal and Communication Skills.
• Legal Research.

About Us

We’re the local council for one of the UK’s most vibrant and diverse cities.

Working for Manchester is not just a job – it’s an opportunity to contribute to a city that leads change and transforms lives. Whether it’s strengthening communities or driving innovation in public services, you’ll play a vital role in creating opportunities and shaping a brighter future for everyone.

Our Manchester is our vision for a fairer, greener, and healthier city – a vision shaped by the people of Manchester. It guides everything we do at the Council and is brought to life through the Our Manchester behaviours:

• We take time to listen and understand.
• We work together and trust each other.
• We show that we value our differences and treat each other fairly.
• We ‘own it’ and are not afraid to try new things.
• We’re proud and passionate about Manchester.

Benefits we offer

• Generous holiday allowance: Enjoy up to 26 days annual leave per year plus bank holidays. Increasing to 31 days after five years of local government service. Want more leave? You can purchase up to two additional weeks.
• A buzzing pension: You’ll be enrolled in the UK’s largest local government pension scheme, with plenty of options to top up your benefits. Includes life cover of three‑times your salary as a lump sum.
• Enhanced parental and carers leave: Take advantage of our enhanced family leave options, designed to provide ample time for you to bond with your new‑born or support your family during critical life events.
• Brilliant perks: Access a range of discounts, from saving on the weekly shop to holidays and days out with MCR+. Plus discounts on phone contracts, cycle to work scheme, free flu jabs and eye tests, and more.
• Learn and grow: We are dedicated to nurturing talent and providing you with the tools to thrive. Take part in a diverse set of learning opportunities, from workshops and training sessions through to apprenticeships and qualifications. All this begins with our comprehensive onboarding process.
• A Good Employment Charter member: We are committed to offering secure, flexible work and embedding fairness into everything we do. We review pay annually, recognise three trade unions, and are constantly working to offer the best possible health and wellbeing support throughout all stages of your working life.
• Up to 3 days volunteering leave: Give back to the community with three days pro‑rate of paid volunteering leave, in addition to existing benefits.

Creating an Inclusive Team at Manchester City Council

At Manchester City Council, we’re dedicated to creating a workplace that truly reflects the diversity of the communities we serve. We actively welcome applications from people of all ages and backgrounds, particularly from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic communities, Disabled people and young people.

Support During the Process

• Interview Adjustments: Let us know if you need any adjustments to demonstrate your suitability during the interview.
• Accessible Formats: Our ReciteMe tool can be accessed through the “Accessibility tools” button at the top of our careers page. This tool offers features like text‑to‑speech, translation into multiple languages, and adjustable text size and colour to make our site more accessible for everyone.

Guaranteed Assessment Scheme

We guarantee assessments for applicants who meet the recruiting panels minimum shortlisting requirements for the role and identify with at least one of the criteria below:

• Members of the Armed Forces members or veterans
• Current or former care leavers
• Have a disability or long‑term condition
• If you have completed the GM Elevate (Leadership Development) Programme or any MCC positive action programme

When You Join Us

We’re a Disability Confident Employer, offering:

• A workplace adjustment hub which provides specialist support, advice and guidance to ensure you have the adjustments needed to thrive at work.
• Disabled Staff Network, Neurodiversity Staff Network and Mental Health Staff Network that provides a safe inclusive space to share experiences and opportunities to influence council practice.
• A strong commitment to ensuring all information adheres to accessibility standards and that our workplaces are accessible and disability‑friendly.

What we will need from you if you're successful

In accordance with Home Office guidance, successful candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK before commencement of employment. This is not a role we consider to be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route based on Manchester City Council policy. Candidates are therefore encouraged to consider their own right to work options without the requirement for Manchester City Council sponsorship.

Pre‑Employment Checks

These checks will depend on the role you’ve applied for. As a guide, these checks may include:

• Proof of Right to Work: You’ll need to provide documentary evidence of your right to work in the UK.
• References: We’ll require references from your current and previous employer(s).
• Proof of Qualifications: Evidence of qualifications relevant to the role will be required.
• Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check: A criminal record check may be necessary, depending on the role.

Other relevant information

We want everyone to be able to be themselves at work and give their best. If you need additional support to undertake the duties of the role, we’ll make every effort to source any necessary aids, adaptations or equipment. If, however, any task proves to be unachievable, we will look at redesigning parts of the role.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.