In House Advocate

Directorate: Finance & Customer Services

Full Time, 37 Hours Per Week, Permanent

Are you a forward thinking, proactive and dynamic legal professional looking for a challenging opportunity? Do you have successful relevant experience of working in a local authority setting?

About the role

We are looking for an In-House Advocate for our Adult Care Law team to make a difference to the lives of the people of Rotherham. Now is the time to join our committed and forward-thinking Legal Team at Rotherham Borough Council. Building on the success of our current team, we are seeking motivated, committed and driven individuals to work with us.

The role requires a minimum of 4-7 years PQE and the Higher Rights of Audience qualification to ensure the experience of expertise of the Advocate in dealing with contested hearings and High Court applications.

The Advocate will not hold a case load and instead will accept instructions from members of the team who would otherwise instruct Counsel to represent the LA in hearings. In addition, there will be an expectation that the Advocate will carry out a supervisory/training role with the team and the client department.

Are you looking for a job which provides a work life balance along with a wide and varied workload, is rewarding, challenging and gives you the satisfaction of knowing your intervention will bring better outcomes for the residents of Rotherham?

This is an exciting new role for the Adult Care Law team and for the shaping of the team in the future.

About you

It is important that you have excellent communication, team-work and relationship building skills. In this role you will need to use your initiative, be flexible and driven to deliver an excellent high quality service; demonstrating a real commitment the role and the Legal Services Team.

You need to hold the relevant qualifications to apply for this position and have the relevant Post Qualification experience.

About us

You will benefit from our hybrid working arrangements and offering of work life balance whilst undertaking a wide and varied workload that is rewarding, challenging and the satisfaction of knowing your intervention will bring better outcomes for the residents of Rotherham.

This is also an excellent time to join Rotherham as we were awarded ‘Most Improved Council Award’ and we are delivering major regeneration and housing as well as creating new jobs and opportunities for our residents. Rotherham is a real 'central UK' location with excellent road and rail links and is ideally placed near the scenic countryside of the Peak District, whilst also being conveniently located next to the vibrant city of Sheffield.

We offer an excellent pay and benefits package which includes membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme, as well as a range of health and wellbeing and other benefits.

For an informal discussion, please contact:

Bal Nahal, Head of Legal on 01709 823661 or email: bal.nahal@rotherham.gov.uk

This post will have access to the Public Services Network, if successful you will be required to apply for a disclosure of criminal records check at the Basic level (unspent criminal convictions).

This post is classed as 'politically restricted' under the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 (as amended). The full details of the restrictions are set out in the Statutory Instrument, but broadly the restrictions prohibit candidature from public elected office; holding office in a political party; as well as involvement in political activities such as canvassing or public speaking/writing.

Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council is committed to encouraging equality, diversity and inclusion among our workforce, and eliminating unlawful discrimination. The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative of all sections of society and our customers, and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. As a Disability Confident employer, we will ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants that meet the minimum criteria for this position will be offered an interview. For further information, please visit our website.

From 1st April 2017 to 31st March 2024 employees paid at Band D and above are subject to a temporary pay reduction of 1.15% spread out by means of a weekly / monthly deduction (dependent on pay frequency) from each pay period over the full financial year. In recognition of implementing this temporary measure, those who experience a pay reduction will be awarded of three additional day’s leave (pro rata for part-time).