Solicitor (Adults Social Care)

£49,498 - £53,630 per annum

We are a multi-award winning Legal Services team, recognised for our excellence and accredited with Lexcel, showcasing our commitment to legal standards. We offer an environment where both individual growth and team success are prioritised. Our office space at the Civic Centre has been recently renovated, providing an appealing and attractive workspace.

Situated conveniently, Wolverhampton has excellent transport connections to Birmingham, Shropshire, and neighbouring towns in the Black Country. The city is undergoing major development, with ongoing projects aimed at enhancing its appeal as a vibrant place for work, leisure, and education.

This is an exciting time for both Wolverhampton and our Legal Services team, presenting a great opportunity to join us.

What The Role Offers You

A career with our team extends beyond qualification attainment. Each team member receives a personalised learning and development plan, complemented by an annual appraisal. Coupled with mentorship and guidance from our leadership team, joining us ensures that you set your career on the right path for success.

The Legal Services team are at the heart of the Council’s functions and are vital to its work. This role gives you the opportunity to play an integral part in the City of Wolverhampton Council achieving its goals and aspirations. As our team continues to thrive and expand, it creates further opportunities for the best people to join us.

We are looking to recruit a motivated and enthusiastic Adult Social Care Solicitor or Barrister.  Candidates from both Local Government and Private Practice are welcomed.

This role will offer you the opportunity to:

• Provide legal support and representation to our adult Social Care department.
• Support colleagues when required.
• Work with minimal supervision.
• Active involvement in client care and business development.
• Manage your own varied caseload including but not limited to:
  1. Safeguarding adults and court of proceedings applications. 
  2. Mental capacity, mental health, and deprivation of liberty.
  3. Nearest relative issues.
  4. Complex care and no-recourse to public funds.
  5. Ordinary residence disputes and commissioning of services.
  6. Advice on the Care Act 2014, Mental Capacity Act 2005, and Mental Health Act 1983.
  7. Judicial review challenges.
  8. Guidance on care and support assessments, support plans and best interests matters.
  9. S21A challenges.

What we are looking for from You

• A passion to further a career in Adult Social Care.
• Recent in-depth knowledge and post qualification experience in Court of Protection Work, including community care, Deprivation of Liberty applications, Vulnerable adults, mental health and judicial review and the Care Act 2014.
• Advocacy skills and a willingness to undertake advocacy.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills as well as demonstrable skills and strengths in negotiation, drafting, persuading, and influencing.
• The ability to command the respect, trust and confidence of your clients and senior managers as well as the court.
• To be able to interpret and communicate information effectively and work to tight deadlines.
• The ability to work confidently and effectively either alone or as part of a team.
• A desire to develop legal skills to enable you to achieve technical excellence.
• The willingness to take on challenges.
• To be solutions and outcome focused; seeking to provide practical options by removing or working around what may be regarded as barriers.
• The ability to form strong working relationships with client departments to enable you to provide the best service you can for clients and the residents of Wolverhampton.
• To be organised with an eye for detail.
• A practical and commercial approach.
• To be willing to consistently go above and beyond to provide good client care, sound legal advice and a fantastic quality of work.

Our Benefits – What We Can Offer You

• Competitive salary with pay progression through multiple increments.
• Flexible working including hybrid working; requiring only 2 days office attendance per week combined with flexi-time will enable you to put your health and wellbeing first and make work fit around your life, not your life fit around work.
• Generous annual leave, starting at 26 days and rising to 35 days (plus bank holidays) in line with length of service.
• The opportunity to join the Local Government Pension Scheme.
• Free parking at several sites across the city.
• Wellbeing and lifestyle savings though our benefits App.

Responsible Business

We care about each other and in 2022 unveiled our Wellbeing Pledges:

• Our People Wellbeing Pledge - We recognise our people are the foundation and greatest asset of our organisation.
• The Manager Wellbeing Pledge - Managers are integral to our organisation and essential in maximising the wellbeing of our people.
• The Organisation Wellbeing Pledge - The Council are dedicated and committed to the wellbeing of its people.

We are committed to supporting local people starting out in their legal career and are proud of our commitment to providing work experience placements and supporting apprenticeships within the team.

Our volunteering scheme, which enables everyone to undertake 2 days fully paid volunteering for a local cause per year, also provides the opportunity for us as individuals and as an organisation, to give something back to the local community.

Additional Information

If you want to progress your legal career with a successful, innovative, and forward-thinking organisation and team, then look no further than the Legal Services Team and the City of Wolverhampton Council and apply today.

To learn more about this role then please contact Saroj Bangard 01902 554922 or Tracey Christie on 01902 554925 for an informal chat.

Our working arrangements

All council roles are allocated to either a fixed, field or flexible work style. Some roles are agile which enable and empowers employees to maximise their performance and productivity, whilst maintaining a healthy work life balance.  Roles with a fixed workstyle work in a fixed permanent council location.  Roles with a field workstyle are usually allocation where employees are required to be out working in the community with a minimum requirement for 'touch down' space at any council location.  Roles with a flexible workstyle have a flexible base location to meet the needs of the business and employees can work from a mixture of home or any council office, partner/client, or external location, as required to meet service requirements.

Diversity 

We are committed to building a workforce that is reflective of the diverse community we serve. We want to attract the best applications from people of all backgrounds and underrepresented groups because we strongly believe in adding value through diversity, inclusion, and equality. Our employees enable us to deliver services that are accessible, inclusive, and reflective of Wolverhampton residents. 

Our status as a Disability Confident Employer showcases our commitment to people with disabilities or health conditions, advocating for their opportunities and potential. We've received the Stonewall Silver Award, emphasising our dedication to the LGBT+ community by nurturing an inspiring, inclusive, and equal workplace. As of March 2023, the RACE Code Quality Mark signifies our active engagement with racial equality. These recognitions validate our continuous efforts towards fostering an inclusive work environment that respects and values our diverse employees. 

As part of our commitment as a Disability Confident employer, a Gold Award Armed Forces employer and our commitment to supporting care leavers - we offer a guaranteed interview as long as your application meets the essential criteria for the post. 

Closing date: 8 July 2024
For further information about the role or to apply, please click on the 'Enquire/Apply' button below.