About the role
A unique opportunity to build a team and influence one of the largest and newest unitary Councils
North Northamptonshire Council is an ambitious, exciting, innovative and supportive place to work. The Council is committed to focused service delivery to improve the lives of our residents. Following local government reform, we are well on our way into our transformation journey to deliver excellent services in an inclusive and creative environment where ideas are encouraged alongside a commitment to staff development.
We have invested in our legal team to support delivery of the Council’s priorities and created a structure that supports the team to deliver an holistic legal service across the Council’s functions. This is an exciting time to join us and be integral in building, establishing, and developing the team providing high quality trusted advice.
We are committed to your personal development; the variety of work delivers an exciting mixed caseload for the team. Our approach provides you with an opportunity to influence and play a broad role in the Council and the way it delivers services to residents.
As a member of the team, you will be supported at a senior level and by your peers in a growing and developing team of professionals. The team’s focus is on enabling service delivery, to achieve this we adopt a partnering model with our clients, supporting them to deliver an ambitious agenda for North Northamptonshire.
The newly created team provides an exciting opportunity for applicants whatever stage they are at in their career. We are committed to developing, nurturing, and growing talent from legal assistants, to the managers of the future. As a unitary authority, the opportunities are varied and broad providing a unique opportunity to shape processes and grow with the Council as it develops.
What will you be doing?
We are looking for a Senior Lawyer specialising in Childcare to join our in-house legal team. The role will require you to undertake a more complex caseload of work including:
- Provide general and specialist childcare advice on behalf of the Council to clients, colleagues and elected members and senior officers.
- Manage a caseload in relation to the full range child protection cases, including attendance at court and tribunals undertaking advocacy where required.
- Advising on policy, strategy and procedures relating to childcare issues.
It is desirable, but not essential, that you have local government experience, however, training and support would be offered as part of your continuous professional development.
If this sounds like a job for you, we would love to hear from you. The closing date for applications is 27th October 2024 and interviews will take place w/c 30th October 2024.
If you would like to have a discussion about the role, please contact Kamila Coulson-Patel, Assistant Director, on 07974 881258.
Please refer to the attached Job description for full details of job responsibilities
About you
You will:
- Hold a relevant degree and be a qualified CILEX, Solicitor or Barrister, licensed to practice.
- Effectively and appropriately provide and communicate legal advice commensurate to experience to Members, Officers and other stakeholders generally and at committee meetings.
- Have experience in childcare work.
Please refer to the attached person specification for full details of Essential and Desirable skills, qualifications and experience required for this role.
Our benefits
Here at North Northamptonshire Council, we’re transforming for the better, using all our creativity and imagination to create the best life for our local people.
You’ll find that we have a wide range of careers that may be more surprising that you think!
Why choose us?
We offer a vibrant working environment with:
- a competitive salary
- a pension scheme, where we pay a significant contribution on top of your contribution. It provides life cover and ill-health protection.
- lots of opportunities to develop your skills, knowledge and potential in a large unitary council
- generous leave entitlement (28 days, rising to 33 days) and bank holidays, plus the option to buy up to an extra 10 days
- hybrid and flexible working arrangements, where practicable for service needs to help you with a healthy work-life balance.
We provide a range of great benefits such as an Employee Assistance Programme, an Employee Benefits Scheme, wellbeing support, travel rates at HMRC rates, as well as supporting a range of active Employee Network Groups.
About us
Our Values and Behaviours
Our values define who we are and how we operate, by forming the foundation for how we interact with our customers, colleagues and provide our services. They are also at the forefront of our decision making and delivery and are:
Customer-focused
Respectful
Efficient
Supportive
Trustworthy
Our Key Commitments
Our key commitments help ensure that the priorities we make, now and in the future, maintain the necessary breadth of focus in those areas that we believe matter most.
We are proud to be a recognised Disability Confident Employer and is committed to providing an inclusive recruitment process and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role.
North Northamptonshire Council re-signed the Armed Forces Covenant in June 2024 which highlights the Council’s pledge to support the Armed Forces community. The council obtained the silver status award for the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) and we are now currently working towards achieving Gold status.
We aim to be a carbon neutral Council by 2030.
Further information can be found at Jobs and careers | North Northamptonshire Council (northnorthants.gov.uk)
Attached documents
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