Child Protection Senior Lawyer

The salary range for this role is £59,868 to £65,755 per annum depending on experience. This salary is based on a 36-hour working week and is a 12-month fixed term contract opportunity.

Are you looking for a new opportunity to develop your career in child care law? As a Child Protection Senior Lawyer, you will join a supportive, successful and Lexcel accredited in-house legal team that delivers effective legal advice, representation and assistance to the Council.

The Legal Services Childcare Team is based at Quadrant Court in Woking. The Council adopts a hybrid working policy with flexible working arrangements which includes access to our offices in Reigate and Weybridge combined with remote or home working. We come together in person for 2 days per week on average (40% of the working week). The team are very approachable (even when working remotely!) so there will always be someone to provide you with support and discuss matters.

Please note, the contractual location for this role is currently Quadrant Court, however it is our intention to move within the local area to Victoria Gate in Central Woking later this year.

Rewards and Benefits

• 26 days' holiday (prorated for part time staff), rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 30 days after 5 years' service
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
• An extensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Up to 5 days of carer's leave per year
• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more
• 2 paid volunteering days plus 1 team volunteering day per year
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources

About the Role

Our team culture is one which is supportive and engaged. We have regular team away days where we connect and collaborate with one another, leaving us feeling motivated and energised about our roles. We were recently nominated for a STARS in Surrey award and receive consistently excellent client feedback. Working together with frontline children's services to safeguard children, we play a pivotal role in the Council's drive to ensure no one is left behind.

As a Child Protection Senior Lawyer, you will have an unrivaled opportunity to hold a complex, interesting and varied workload with the chance to develop yourself and others through supervision of members of the team, whilst also being supported through training, regular supervision and development plans to continue learning and developing your expertise.

You will contribute to the management of the team, undertake advocacy on behalf of the County Council, and provide expert legal advice regarding its duties and responsibilities towards children and young people, including those related to adoption.

Shortlisting Criteria

To be considered for shortlisting for this position, your application will clearly evidence the following:

• You are a solicitor, barrister or fellow of CILEX who is eligible to practice in England and Wales and have (or be in a position to apply for) a current practicing certificate issued by the relevant regulatory authority.
• Able to manage a full, varied and demanding caseload and deliver innovative solutions with minimal supervision.
• Strong written and oral communication and interpersonal skills with high level negotiation and influencing skills.
• The ability to work collaboratively with internal and external partners and professionals.
• Experience of advocacy.
• Experience of supervising others or a commitment and passion for developing your management and leadership skills.
• An understanding of and are able to model and uphold the values of Surrey County Council.

The role is a fixed term position for 12 to cover a period of maternity leave. If you are interested in developing and enhancing your existing skills whilst undertaking quality and varied work in the area of child protection, we'd love to hear from you.

Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment.

The job advert closes at 23:59 on Monday 6th January 2025 with interviews being held the week commencing 13th January 2025.

Should you wish to join a large, friendly, dedicated and experienced team of lawyers please click the apply button below to submit your application.

This post has been designated as a politically restricted post in accordance with the Local Government and Housing Act 1989.

Our Commitment

Surrey County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. A guaranteed interview will be offered to all disabled applicants where:

• The candidate has evidenced the minimum criteria for the role through their application
• The candidate has chosen to share that they have a disability on the application form

Our application form and onboarding process will provide an opportunity to request any reasonable adjustments for the interview and/or the role. We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all underrepresented groups.