£40,236 - £56,750 per annum

Located in Huntingdon (although travel to other offices may be required)

A fantastic opportunity to join an exciting, innovative law firm where you will be given the opportunity to learn and develop in your chosen field and excel in your career.

Pathfinder Legal Services Ltd is a true one of a kind. Established in 2015 as an ‘Alternative Business Structure’ (ABS) we are wholly owned by public bodies. We pride ourselves on serving our communities with resilience, enthusiasm and focus. Working for public sector and not for profit clients is our focus. A significant proportion of the work we carry out will be for local authorities, however, we have over recent years grown our client base to include more than one hundred organisations across the public and not-for profit sectors. Our clients including Clinical Commissioning Groups, Foundation Trusts, Charities and Fire Services.

We have grown significantly in recent years and are rapidly expanding, with offices based in Huntingdon, Northampton and Shefford. With over 180 members of staff, our Firm is made up of qualified legal officers, administrative support and finance officers. We aim to develop our staff to enable them to reach their full potential and to find a career path suitable to each individual.

If the chance to play a part in this fast paced but increasingly interesting and challenging area of law interests you, we want to hear from you.

Who are we looking for?
The Job Descriptions and Person Specifications for the role set out the essential and desirable criteria.

In addition, we are looking for people who are:

• Knowledgeable about childcare law, especially from a Local Authority perspective
• Diligent and passionate about making a difference through their work.
• Approachable and able to build relationships with the team, our clients and others.
• Confident and tenacious in their ability to represent the clients’ position.
• Committed and dedicated to child protection law from a local authority perspective.
• Willing to learn and develop.
• Personable and a team player.

Who are we?
We are a large team, made up of around 50 lawyers and paralegals of all types and length of qualification. We have team members who have been with us for over 25 years and newly qualified lawyers who have just joined us. We are passionate and dedicated, always ready to help each other out and discuss cases to find a solution. We love working together and developing each other’s knowledge and abilities. We are committed to staff development, training and career progression opportunities. Our supportive team is our strength and we’re ready to welcome you into it.

What do we do?
The Childcare team deals with all types of child protection work for its shareholder local authorities and other clients, including:

• Care Proceedings, including representation in Court
• Pre-proceedings (PLO) work
• Advice in relation to Deprivation of Liberties
• Advice in relation to contact
• Adoption proceedings
• Advice on Local Authorities’ duties and responsibilities
• Advice to Local Authorities in relation to private law proceedings
• Advice in relation to children becoming looked after, ceasing to become looked after and any issues arising

The Childcare team also advise clients on process and improvements that can be made and provide duty advice to the client on a rota basis. Members of the team sit on Local Family Justice Boards, advise Safeguarding Children Local Partnerships, Adoption and Fostering Panels and Agency Decision Makers. We also provide training for clients and for the team.

The work is exciting, varied and interesting. Recently, the team has been involved in a number of reported cases and has represented the Local Authority on cases which have been considered by the Court of Appeal. No two days are ever the same!

What do we offer?
As well as competitive salaries and annual leave, our Lawyers and Senior Lawyers have the benefit of:

• Flexible working around our core hours of 10am-12noon and 2-4pm
• Flexi leave to allow up to an additional day’s leave per four week period without using annual leave where you have worked those hours
• Hybrid working to balance working from home with a supportive office environment
• Membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme with generous employer contributions
• Supportive training policy with option for funded study or development

What do our team say about working in the Childcare Team at Pathfinder?

• I have worked at Pathfinder having come from a medium sized high street firm. I was unsure of working for a Local Authority having worked in private practice for over 15 years. However, since coming to Pathfinder, I have not looked back. Support is easily available and readily forthcoming. Communication from the top is regularly fed through to all employs which makes for a cohesive working environment across all the disciplines the firm covers. There is good scope for growth and progression and plenty of opportunity to grow personally and professionally. Can’t see myself ever going back to private practice. (Senior Lawyer with Management Responsibilities)
• As a solicitor who has been here for many years and seen a transformation of in-house team to Pathfinder, I would say this organisation is a fully supportive, inclusive and professional environment in which to work. All staff are friendly and helpful sharing knowledge and experience. Managers are very approachable, and staff rally to resolve any work issues. Progression is supported and encouraged and opportunities for training and gaining knowledge are encouraged. (Principal Lawyer)
• “The childcare team are fantastic; it is a great environment to work and learn in.” (Lawyer)
• “I have the most wonderful time at Pathfinder, from starting as a paralegal to qualifying as a solicitor. I have thoroughly enjoyed working at Pathfinder.” (Lawyer)
• “There is good teamwork within the Childcare team, everyone looks after each other.” (Senior Lawyer)
• “I enjoy working for Pathfinder Legal in the Shefford team and have found the team to be most welcoming and supportive with a great working relationship. My line manager is a pleasure to work with, as are the rest of the team, and I have felt supported throughout my time here.” (Senior Lawyer)

To apply for this position please send your CV and a covering letter explaining how you meet the Person Specification to recruitment@pathfinderlegal.co.uk. When applying, please quote reference ‘CHI-081’.

For a copy of the full Job Description and Person Specification and details of our other vacancies, please visit our website www.pathfinderlegal.co.uk/careers.

Closing date: 16 September 2023 @ 12:00

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