Job Description
Description Job Description & Person Specification > At Torbay Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that's why we're working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation. If you are committed to making a difference and want to undertake work which has a real impact for the local community and seek an opportunity to develop your career whilst undertaking a varied and complex case work, this could be the role for you. Torbay Council continues to seek to create positive changes for local people, communities and business and our in-house legal service is expanding to support the varied work of this diverse Unitary Authority. We are looking for conscientious candidates who are enthusiastic and motivated to work collaboratively in providing advice to our Children’s Services departments and to assist in the delivery of the Council's statutory functions. Legal Services are at the heart of the organisation, giving the legal team a real opportunity to shape its services. This is an exciting time to join our busy but friendly team, as we continue to grow and develop our service. We offer a fast-paced and extremely rewarding career in a supportive environment. Testament to this is the stability of the legal team, with some members having worked within the team for a significant number of years. Career development is something we are very passionate about; we are committed to building an exceptional in-house legal service, utilising our colleague's talent, and making the most of what they have to offer. The team has two in-house Counsel who supports the team which, brings unique opportunity for learning and development. The team provides legal advice and representation to our clients across a spectrum of children’s public law and within private law matters, supporting the safeguarding of children and ensuring the Local Authority is fulfilling its statutory duties. This role sits at the heart of the team in supporting our more senior colleagues in progressing care and adoption cases to their conclusion and within private law matters, where there is Local Authority involvement. Ideally, we welcome applications from Law Graduates, Legal Executives or Solicitors but will consider candidates who have extensive experience of advising/working in relation to children's social care matters and aspire to undertake legal qualifications or are in the process of doing so. Applicants will have experience in aspects of child protection, from emergency protection orders and care proceedings to adoption, disclosure work, leaving care advice and immigration issues relating to children and families. The role is predominately managing court proceedings and as such, advocacy experience is desirable but not essential, however, training can be provided. Whether you are newly qualified or have significant experience of children's social care work built from a career in the public or private sector, we welcome you to apply to join our team. The candidates sought will be flexible and committed team players, have excellent communication and IT skills, and be proficient at to work to deadlines in supporting the team with their varied and busy caseloads. If you are viewing this advert on a job board, you can access the full job description by placing the below URL into your browser: https://www.torbay.gov.uk/council/jobs/job-descriptions/legal-officer-children-s/ For an informal chat please contact Katrina Forsythe on 01803207169 or katrina.forsythe@torbay.gov.uk. Interviews are expected to be conducted during the week commencing 14th October 2024. Our adverts do sometimes close early - even where there's a published deadline - so if you're keen, please apply as soon as possible. Skills Essential: Ability to give clear and accurate legal advice. Highly effective communication and interpersonal skills. Analytical and problem solving skills. This role requires the ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence and fluency in English. Knowledge Essential: Knowledge of the law and procedures within the specialist area. Knowledge of the law relating to local government. Experience & Qualifications Essential: Experience of law and practice relating to Child Care and Adoption. Experience of and ability to effectively use IT equipment. Please review the available pages within the careers site . A list of employer benefits can be found here .