Senior Childcare Lawyer

£43,629 - £52,252 per annum
This is an exciting opening for the right candidate to join our specialist childcare team as a  senior lawyer. You will be qualified as a solicitor, barrister or FCILEx. We are a supportive and dynamic team, committed to securing positive outcomes for children and young people, working alongside our outstanding Ofsted rated Together for Families Service.

Cornwall Council is a large and ambitious Unitary Authority, supported by an experienced and welcoming Legal Service that has a crucial role in providing specialist legal advice to all sectors of the Council, as well as some external organisations.

You will have some ability to work flexibly and from home. Your main office location will be New County Hall, Truro.

The successful candidate will have excellent oral and written communication skills with the ability to work under pressure and to strict timescales. They will be adaptable, flexible and ready to work collaboratively as part of an experienced team of specialist colleagues, giving advice on all aspects of childcare law. They will have the opportunity to develop their advocacy skills in range of courts and tribunals and at a variety of hearing. They will be enthusiastic about learning new skills and new areas connected to children law.  

You should expect a varied and challenging caseload including:

• Advising on the threshold criteria for public law applications
• Fostering and adoption advice
• Legal advice and support to children’s services during the PLO process
• Care proceedings, including Placement Order applications
• Private law applications (s7 & s37)
• Advice to schools and academies, including parental responsibility, pupil welfare and safeguarding
• School admissions and exclusions, transport, including representation and advice at appeals

This is a varied and interesting role working with a very friendly but busy Service . Don’t worry if you don’t have local government experience as we’ll give you the support you need to develop and learn that area. 

The role profile provides more detail about this position as well as what your application will need to include to demonstrate how you meet the required criteria. Please ensure you answer all of the pre-screening questions in full, within the application form.

There are many benefits of working for Cornwall Council such as a defined benefit pension scheme, competitive salary, family friendly policies and flexible working. This role can be carried out largely remotely but with some office-based working as required to support the service needs. We can discuss this with you during the recruitment process and we are open to discussion about flexible working.

This position will be subject to a standard criminal record disclosure check. 

For an informal conversation or to obtain more details about the role, please contact Alison White on 01872 322222.

What you’ll get in return:

Cornwall Council’s ambition is to be an employer of choice, a high performing Council and a learning organisation. We commit to providing a reward and benefits package to attract, motivate and reward our employees. We offer a range of flexible working options to our staff. This helps provide our employees with a greater work/life balance. Whilst still ensuring that service needs are met.

Our core employee rewards and benefits include:

• a competitive salary.
• a defined benefit pension scheme, based on your career average earnings. This includes the option for extra voluntary contributions
• a generous annual leave entitlement with the potential to purchase additional leave.
• A national award-winning employee health and wellbeing programme
• Employee benefits scheme giving employees access to a wide range of discounts to local and national goods and services.

About Us
Cornwall Council’s ambition is to be an employer of choice, a high performing Council and a learning organisation. We commit to providing a reward and benefits package to attract, motivate and reward our employees. We offer a range of flexible working options to our staff. This helps provide our employees with a greater work/life balance. Whilst still ensuring that service needs are met.

Our core employee rewards and benefits include:

• a competitive salary.
• a defined benefit pension scheme, based on your career average earnings. This includes the option for extra voluntary contributions
• 26 days annual leave per year (pro-rata), rising to 29 days after five years continuous service, with the potential to purchase additional leave.
• A national award winning employee health and wellbeing programme
• Employee benefits scheme giving employees access to a wide range of discounts to local and national goods and services.

Cornwall Council deliver services to more than half a million local people and over five million visitors a year. We are happy to talk about flexible working options such as part-time or compressed hours.
Closing date: 01 April 2024
For further information or to apply for the position please select the 'Enquire/Apply' button.