Solicitor, SHELTER

Guardian Jobs; Sheffield; Hybrid; GBP 39,000 - 44,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

30 days annual leave

Pension

Interest free travel loans

Tenancy deposit loan

Cycle to work scheme

Employee assistance programme

Job summary

Shelter is seeking a Housing Solicitor in Sheffield, working on the Housing Loss Prevention Service under a Legal Aid contract. The role focuses on providing free legal advice and court representation to tenants at risk of losing their homes.

We welcome qualified solicitors or those with 3+ years PQE who are passionate about social justice. The position offers hybrid working and supports trainees, aiming to defend the right to a safe home and housing justice.

Qualifications

• Qualified Solicitor with strong housing law background and Legal Aid experience.
• Experience delivering high-quality legal advice and representation.
• Ability to advocate effectively in court and support trainee solicitors.

Responsibilities

• Deliver high-quality legal advice and representation under the Housing Loss Prevention Service.
• Represent tenants in court when needed.
• Drive systemic change to prevent homelessness through strategic casework and litigation.
• Collaborate with the Sheffield team to raise housing rights awareness in the community.
• Support Trainee Solicitors and Legal Advisers to maintain high professional standards and compliance.

Skills

Housing law

Legal Aid experience

Advocacy skills

Education

Qualified Solicitor (NQ welcome)

Job description

Location: Sheffield

Depending on the needs of the service, there is potential for limited flexible/hybrid working within this role. Arrangements will be discussed with the successful candidate.

Salary: Grade 5 - £38,724 or Grade 6 - £44,323 per annum depending on experience

Full time: 35 per week

Contract: Fixed term until 31st March 2027

Closing date: Wednesday 2nd September 2026 at 11.30 pm

Join Shelter as a Housing Solicitor, in our mission to drive systemic change and fight for Justice.

If you are a dedicated Solicitor with a strong commitment to addressing the housing crisis we welcome you to apply for this role.

At a time when the housing emergency continues to deepen, your experience could help transform lives and challenge the systems that perpetuate injustice. Come and play a central role in our mission as a Solicitor to defend the right to a safe, and secure home.

Working with Shelter means being part of a passionate team that believes a safe home is a fundamental right. Here, your legal skills don't just change lives-they shape a fairer housing system

About The Role

Using your legal expertise, you will play a key role in tackling housing in justice and unfair housing practices. You will be working under our Legal Aid contract, delivering legal advice and representing tenants at court where needed. Delivering systemic change through legal challenge to prevent homeless will also be a considerable part of the role. You will also work with the team in the Hub to help make sure people in the community are aware of their housing rights and how to enforce them, as well as providing support to Trainee Solicitors and Legal Advisers, ensuring good practice and compliance.

About You

In this role, you will:

• Be a qualified Solicitor - we are open to newly qualified candidates with a demonstrable interest in social justice, as well as those who have 3+ years PQE and a strong track record in housing law and Legal Aid work
• Deliver high-quality legal advice and representation under our work as part of the Housing Loss Prevention Service, which provides free legal advice and court representation to anyone at risk of losing their home.
• Challenge unfair housing practices and systemic causes of homelessness through strategic casework and litigation
• Work closely with our Sheffield team to strengthen housing rights awareness across the area Support Trainee Solicitors and Legal Advisers, ensuring high professional standards and compliance.

Benefits

We offer a wide range of benefits, including 30 days of annual leave, enhanced family friendly policies, pension and interest free travel loans. Our employees also have access to a tenancy deposit loan, payroll giving, cycle to work scheme and an employee assistance programme.

About Shelter

Home is a human right. It's our foundation and where we thrive. Yet everyday millions of people are being devastated by the housing emergency.

We exist to defend the right to a safe home. Because home is everything.

We need ambitious, passionate people to join us. This is your chance to play a part in the fundamental change we are striving to achieve.

Our enemy is the social injustice at the core of the escalating housing emergency. To win this fight, we must be representative of the people we are here to help and those who support our movement. In all our people decisions, we take pride in being inclusive, equitable and transparent. We are committed to combating racism both within and outside Shelter. We welcome you on our journey to becoming truly anti-racist.

About The Team

Our Legal Service provides specialist legal knowledge across Shelter through four teams covering Community Legal advice, Strategic Litigation, and Legal Support Team. You will be part of our Community Legal Team, who are based across our 11 hub locations and work alongside hub colleagues every day to fight housing injustice and deliver systemic change relating to housing practice in our local communities.

Shelter Sheffield has a housing legal contract as well as a contract to deliver the County Court Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service at Sheffield and Doncaster. You will be based in the Sheffield community hub which has the overall aim of preventing homelessness and improving homelessness services for the people of South Yorkshire.

The advice and support team in Sheffield has been established for over 20 years, taking a holistic approach and focuses on emergency homelessness, support for children, families and people experiencing domestic abuse, as well as those with multiple and complex needs.

Safeguarding Statement

Safeguarding is everyone's business. Shelter is committed to protecting the health, wellbeing and human rights of those we support, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. All our staff will be expected to observe professional standards of behaviour and conduct their work in line with our Safeguarding Policies.

Recruitment Agencies

Shelter does not accept unsolicited CVs from external recruitment agencies nor accept the fees associated with them.