Social Care Solicitor

About the role
At Hammersmith & Fulham, we are ambitious in reforming the council to ensure this is a place for everybody. Within the Finance & Governance department, our ambition is to be 'ruthlessly financially efficient' in everything that we do, to ensure that our residents and services are receiving the best value for money whilst challenging old-fashioned thinking, unfairness and removing waste where possible.

Hammersmith and Fulham Council’s Legal Services is looking to recruit an enthusiastic England and Wales qualified solicitor, Barrister or a Fellows of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives to provide clear and balanced Social Care advice. You will be able to hold a caseload which covers all aspects of Social Care law. Predominantly the role is to advise Children Services in relation to various child protection matters. You will hold a mixed caseload of care proceedings, pre- proceedings and miscellaneous matters such as designation of authority, secure accommodation, age assessment judicial reviews and deprivation of liberty authorisations etc. The team also provides Education and Adult Social Care advice and so the successful candidate may also develop their career within these areas whilst having the opportunity to undertake some advocacy.

You will be required to attend meetings with the client departments and undertake technical and complex research. You will have excellent time management skills as you will need to manage your own workloads and juggle competing demands and deadlines. You must be an excellent team player who can thrive working in an experienced, friendly and supportive team which develops and values its staff. You will have a positive and willing attitude, commercial outlook and will look for innovative and collaborative ways to deliver a client focused service which adds value for our clients and taxpayers.

We will appoint at P05 a senior solicitor. We will appoint at P07 a senior solicitor also undertaking management as part of the role. 

This is a 36 hour per week temporary role to cover a maternity leave absence for up to 12 months. As the Service works in a flexible and agile fashion, applicants do not necessarily need to be based in London. Hybrid working at our Hammersmith offices and Court attendance for In-Person hearings in Central London will occasionally be necessary. The post is career graded and the full Job Role is set out below.

Role Responsibilities:

• To conduct proceedings in the Family Proceedings Court, County Court, High Court, Crown Court and Magistrate Court or any other Tribunal and comply with applicable time limits. The post holder’s case load may include high profile, politically sensitive and financially weighted cases. 
• To deal with all types of public law children and adult matters and to report to, liaise with and assist the Chief Solicitor Social Care and the Borough Solicitor as necessary. 
• To advise on SEN cases and other education matters.
• To prepare and process all matters relevant to child protection cases before any court, inquiry or tribunal, including the evaluation of evidence, drafting applications and statements and having general conduct of all matters.
• To appear as the Council’s advocate in Courts, Tribunals, Inquiries or other hearings as appropriate.

Role Specific Qualifications:
Qualified Solicitor, Barrister or Fellow of CILEX entitled to practice in England and Wales.

Our People Values:
How we act defines who we are. At the heart of our organisation is a common approach to defining ‘who we are’. We are looking for people who can build this into everything they do.

We are fair
We treat everyone with compassion, dignity and fairness. We value the views and opinion of others, and promote benefits and opportunities for all.

We are caring
We care about our borough and doing things well. We focus on standards and continuous improvement; learning from our mistakes and celebrating success.

We are collaborators
We work together for a better society. We work with our residents, businesses, schools, third sector and others for better outcomes for everyone.

We are driven
We will only settle for the very best. We seek to continually improve and put our residents, customers and businesses at the heart of everything we do.

Our commitment to you:
At H&F you will have access to a comprehensive total reward package as well as joining a flexible working employer and as such all staff can request flexible working Click HERE to find out more.

We believe an inclusive workplace is about the visibility and representation of our local diverse community - it is about open and transparent decision making co-produced with staff and residents.

It is about respect for diversity and a shared identity that seeks to encourage fair and transparent recruitment, retention, and career progression. We take a proactive approach to equity, diversity, and inclusion so that it is part of the fabric of the Council with a shared understanding of the role all colleagues play in realising the inclusivity of the workplace. At H&F, our workplace ensures that everybody has equitable access to opportunities.

In order to combat discrimination, no unnecessary conditions or requirements will be applied which could have a disproportionately adverse effect on any one group. All sections of the population will have equitable access to jobs. No applicant or employee will receive less favourable treatment because of their age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage or civil partnership and pregnancy or maternity, unless a Genuine Occupational Qualification (GOQ) applies.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect this commitment.
Asking for Adjustments
We are committed to removing barriers in the workplace and this includes adjustments throughout the recruitment process.

If you would like to discuss any adjustments or request the application form in a different format, please contact us at resourcing-peopleandtalent@lbhf.gov.uk or by post to The Town Hall, King Street, Hammersmith W6 9JU