Job description
Would you like to make a real difference by helping the Council protect children and help ensure safe and healthy lives for them? If so, come and join our Children’s Team.
Ideally you will be a solicitor, barrister or FCILEx and already have experience as a childcare lawyer. This is a full-time, permanent role and you’ll be an important part of our supportive Children’s Team. You’ll be committed to securing positive outcomes for children and young people, working alongside our outstanding Ofsted rated Together for Families Service.
Excellent communication skills are a must as are being able to work under pressure and to strict timescales, being adaptable, flexible and ready to work collaboratively as part of an experienced team, and giving advice on all aspects of childcare law. You’ll have the opportunity to develop your advocacy skills in range of courts and tribunals, and at a variety of hearings. We’d also like it if you’re enthusiastic about learning new skills and expanding your knowledge.
You will have a varied, challenging and rewarding workload including:
- Fostering and adoption
- PLO matters
- Preparing and processing all necessary documents, including thresholds, case summaries and court applications
- Mentoring and supporting colleagues in the team
- Advising on section 37 reports
- Deputising for the Principal Lawyer when necessary.
Don’t worry if you don’t have local government experience as we’ll give you the support you need to develop and learn what you need.
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 Service needs. We can discuss this with you during the recruitment process and we are open to discussion about flexible working.
A role profile can be found here.
For an informal conversation or to obtain more details about the role, please contact Alison White on 01872 322222.
Please be advised that for this role we are accepting uploaded supporting statements and/or CVs to support your online application.
Fairness and inclusion are at the heart of our vision for Cornwall. In order to best serve our communities, we are striving to achieve a diverse workforce that is inclusive of all backgrounds, cultures and identities; e.g. race, disability, sex, gender, age, religion and sexual orientation. We are an equal opportunities and Disability Confident employer, and we will assess applicants on their merits.
Cornwall Council is committed to safeguarding and following safer recruitment principles to help make sure our staff and volunteers are suitable to work with children, young people and adults at risk. It’s a vital part of creating a safe and positive environment and making a commitment to keeping all service users safe from harm.
Whilst the location/work-base for this role has been specified our evolving ways of working means that the role may require you to also work remotely (e.g. from home/other locations). We will discuss this with you during the recruitment process.
More information about working for Cornwall Council is available here.
We are happy to talk about flexible working options.