Legal Manager

Cheshire West and Chester Council; Pennsylvania; On-site; USD 94,000 - 148,000; Full time

Job summary

Cheshire West and Chester Council is seeking an experienced solicitor and legal team leader to join its growing Legal Services team within the People Team. The role will oversee safeguarding, coronial law, education and SEND, while expanding the team’s remit and supervising staff.

It involves advising on policy and strategy, managing workloads, coordinating external counsel and deputising for senior leaders to ensure timely, high‑quality legal services for the Council.

Qualifications

• Qualified solicitor with experience in safeguarding and public sector law.
• Proven ability to lead a legal team and deliver strategic advice.
• Strong understanding of safeguarding, family law and court processes.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal and procedural work and advice appropriate to this level in the Service.
• Allocate work effectively and ensure workloads are managed efficiently to deliver value for money.
• Directly supervise or undertake complex areas of work, including policy and strategy advice.
• Ensure cost-effective use of external legal support.
• Participate in project teams to deliver high‑quality legal advice and services.
• Deputise for the Senior Legal Manager and Head of Legal when required.
• Identify, research and share implications of legal developments for timely service delivery.
• Supervise staff to ensure timely and efficient legal services.
• Prepare and contribute to reports for Cabinet, Committees, Boards and Panels.
• Ensure casework meets relevant legislation, court requirements and professional standards.
• Undertake advocacy, with a focus on Family Court proceedings.
• Support the delivery of client service objectives and Council policies.

Skills

Legal leadership

Team management

Family Court advocacy

Policy advice

Project collaboration

Education

Qualified solicitor

Job description

We are looking to recruit an experienced solicitor and legal team leader to join the recently formed People Team within the Council’s Legal Services.

The People Team is the largest team in Legal Services. It currently provides legal support to the Council in these areas.

• Safeguarding – adults and children, including Court of Protection and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards
• Coronial law
• Education
• Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

Education and SEND work has recently moved into the team. Prior to this the team carried out purely safeguarding work. The intention is that the People Team will carry out a broader scope of legal work to include other people focussed work.

Knowledge of law, legal proceedings, policies, procedures and practices related to safeguarding is essential as this is the core work of the People Team.

The legal manager will…

• - Provide legal and procedural work and advice appropriate to this level in the Service.
• - Allocate work effectively and ensure workloads are managed efficiently to deliver value for money.
• - Directly supervise or undertake any of the more complex areas of work as required, including advice on policy and strategy to ensure the Council meets its legal responsibilities and decisions are taken on a sound legal basis.
• - Ensure the cost-effective use of any external legal support.
• - Participate in project teams to support the delivery of high‑quality legal advice and services as may be assigned by the Senior Legal Manager or Head of Legal.
• - Deputise for the Senior Legal Manager and the Head of Legal when required.
• - Identify, research and share the implications of legal developments to support timely and informed service delivery.
• - Supervise staff to ensure the provision of timely and efficient legal services to the Council.
• - Prepare and contribute to reports for Cabinet, Committees, Boards and Panels, and attend meetings as appropriate.
• - Ensure casework meets relevant legislation, court requirements/expectations and professional standards.
• - Undertake advocacy, with a focus on Family Court proceedings.
• - Support the delivery of client service objectives, ensuring accurate and timely implementation of Council policies and decisions.

For an informal chat about the role please feel free to contact Mina Moghaddam at [e-mail]