£37,336 - £48,474 plus £8,000 Market Supplement

Dynamic, innovative, and supportive Local Authority legal team seeks lawyer ready for fresh adventures. Salary range up to £48,474 PLUS £8,000 market supplement.

We are Brighton and Hove City Council, a busy and lively Local Authority on the South Coast. We are a legal team which values imagination, creativity, and work ethic in public service, and which offers a friendly and supportive environment where you can grow and develop your career.  We offer flexible working hours and arrangements, including hybrid. The legal team is award-winning, having just won the Local Government Legal Team of the Year 2024 and thirsty for more. We could be perfect for each other.

We are looking for qualified lawyers to become a part of our well-respected childcare team.

Perhaps you’re working in private practice, and are tempted by the idea of your value being measured by the quality and importance of the work you do, with no income targets, and no more legal aid agency forms to fill out? Or are you an experienced local authority lawyer and you want to work in a team which will understand how to get the best out of you for the communities we serve? Our strong team ethos and experienced managers mean we can help you to have the satisfaction of doing this important work well, in a supportive environment.

The needs of children and their safety are at the heart of everything we do, and the work is both challenging and rewarding. The role includes advising social workers and managers on our duties to children and families, protecting children, fostering and adoption, and representing the Local Authority in care proceedings.  

You will be a qualified lawyer who demonstrates excellent client care, communication skills, a positive attitude, and a willingness to develop expertise in the role. In depth knowledge of the Children Act 1989 and Adoption and Children Act 2002 are essential.  Experience of working in local government is a bonus, but not required. 

We offer a generous annual leave entitlement, local government pension scheme, flexible working arrangements and a work environment which gives you the chance to use and develop your skills within a forward-thinking service.

What should you do next?  Follow the link and contact andrew.pack@brighton-hove.gov.uk if you would like to discuss the role further.

Please read our Apply for a job at the council (brighton-hove.gov.uk) pages carefully. They give you all the guidance you need to complete your application as well as information on what will happen after you’ve submitted your application and at interview.

As part of your application, you will need to upload your CV and supporting statement. Your supporting statement is the most important part of your application as it will be used in the shortlisting process to assess whether you meet the essential requirements for the role that are set out in the person specification and to decide whether you should be offered an interview. 

Additional information
Your starting salary will be pro rata if the above position is less than 37 hours or term-time only.

We are a workplace that supports flexibility and employee wellbeing in the way we work whilst providing the best service for our customers. Team and service working arrangements are designed to support both employee work life balance and team collaboration. These would be part of your individual working arrangements alongside any personal preference agreed with your manager in advance of joining. Your contractual location will be the designated council office for your team and travel to and from your contractual location would be at your own expense.

Company information

Encouraging a diverse workforce
Our city is known and loved for its diversity. Not only is the mixture of people, culture and skills vital to the economic and social development of the city, it's what makes Brighton & Hove such a great place to live, work and visit. We are committed to developing and retaining a workforce that is representative of the diverse communities we serve so we welcome applications from individuals from all backgrounds. In order to achieve our aims of proportionate representation, we particularly encourage applicants from a BME or White Other background as well as those who identify as disabled, male or trans.

Find out more about our commitment to being a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone can achieve their potential by reading about our fair and inclusive actions, our anti-racism strategy and the work we are doing to encourage a diverse workforce.

Closing date: 7 November 2024

For further information or to apply, please click on the 'Enquire/Apply' button below.