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Senior Solicitor (Child Care) WCC616636
Salary range: £53,109 - £59,220 per annum
Work location: Kensington Town Hall, Kensington, London W8 7NX
Hours per week: 36
Contract type: Permanent
Closing date: 9 June 2024
Interview date: Week commencing 24 June 2024
Contact details for Informal discussion: Kirti Shori, Principal Solicitor via email on KSHORI@WESTMINSTER.GOV.UK
About Us:
THE EXTRAORDINARY STORY OF HUMAN LAW
Legal Services in Westminster City Council is a world of extraordinary stories. Where our people look beyond the obvious to do life-altering work.
There are few more important issues in the world today than mental health. The lawyers in our Adult Social Care team are the innovators and experts using the law to change society for good. Trainee Solicitor, Barbara Ayisi has already seen the far-reaching impact we have had on residents with poor mental health, dementia and suicidal tendencies. How a group of passionate people advocating for those who can’t always advocate for themselves – their welfare, wellbeing and wishes – can make a human impact like no other. For us, that’s the true power of the law.
Please view the extraordinary story of Human Law here .
The Role:
As a Senior Solicitor, you can make your own powerful contribution. Your main role will be to provide expert professional, procedural and technical legal guidance to colleagues, managers, partner agencies, Members and Officers on all matters relating to child protection.
Working alongside the Housing and General Litigation Team, you’ll undertake both routine and complex cases – including those that might be high profile, politically sensitive or financially weighted. You’ll conduct proceedings, public enquiries, appeals and judicial reviews in the Courts and before Tribunal and appear as an advocate as appropriate. Part of the role includes drafting, preparing and collating statements of case and other legal documentation, as well as advising on law and evidence, interviewing witnesses and drafting statements and affidavits.
A qualified Solicitor, Barrister or Fellow of CILEx with at least five years of relevant post qualification experience, you’ll have demonstratable experience of dealing with and advising on local authority’s duties and powers in relation to children and young adults.
With a broad knowledge of Local Government law, and the ability to work constructively with Council members to a high degree of political sensitivity, you’ll be capable of effectively communicating standard and complex legal issues to Members and officers, and of providing cogent legal advice accordingly.
On a personal level, you’ll be a natural communicator with excellent negotiating and influencing skills. You’ll be diplomatic, enterprising and detail focused, with the ability to work both independently and as part of a team. This is a fantastic opportunity to put people across Westminster first, and to supercharge your career in the process.
The Council is committed to achieving diverse shortlists to support our desire to increase the number of staff from underrepresented groups in our workforce. We especially encourage applications from a global majority background and, while the role is open to all applicants, we will utilise the positive action provisions of the Equality Act 2010 to appoint a candidate from a global majority background where there is a choice between two candidates of equal merit. If you are from a Global Majority background you can self-declare this to the hiring manager as part of our positive action commitments.
What We Offer:
Westminster is an amazing place. We are home to more than 200,000 residents from all backgrounds, over 50,000 vibrant and vital businesses and three-quarters-of-a-million people work in Westminster.
Westminster City Council’s strategy is to work towards a Fairer Westminster. A Fairer Westminster is one in which our communities are at the heart of our decision-making and help to determine the city’s future. By working directly with our communities and other partners, we can build a more inclusive city that celebrates our diverse communities, and where residents, workers and visitors from all backgrounds will feel welcome and safe.
At Westminster City Council, we pride ourselves on being an inclusive workplace and employer of choice. We encourage and welcome applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that, at all levels, represents the communities we serve. We champion equality, diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued, has a sense of belonging and is empowered to be their best, that is the Westminster Way. To find out more about how we do this visit https://www.westminster.gov.uk/health-and-social-care/public-health-strategy-policies-and-reports/equality-duties
As a forward thinking Council we appreciate that people work in different ways, therefore our staff benefit from working a range of flexible working patterns as well as Agile working.
The Council is a Disability Confident Employer. If you have declared a disability in your application , we guarantee an interview if you meet the essential criteria of the job. If you are invited for interview, you will be asked if you need any reasonable adjustments in order to attend, and we will make these wherever possible.
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