What's involved with this role: Job Title: Legal Advocate Ref: Merton 5268890 Pay rate: Up to £43.63 per hour PAYE depending on experience The role: A qualified Solicitor, Barrister or Legal Exec Fellow is required to work as an Advocate analysing, researching, drafting, advising, and undertaking advocacy within a Social Care and Education Legal Team. Under the strategic direction of the Practice Lead, Social Care and Education Team, you will undertake all advocacy primarily in childcare matters and to ensure the provision of a high quality, efficient, cost effective and customer focused service and to contribute to the financial and business management of the Social Care and Education team. You will appear as the Council’s advocate at preliminary, unopposed and complex contested hearings ranging from 1 day to 10 days duration in the Family Court and High Court in childcare and adoption proceedings and at other tribunals and courts as required in non-childcare proceedings with minimum supervision. You will incorporate changes to practice within the Social Care and Education team as a result of statutory, policy or other changes and in so doing to recognise and report any budgetary or resource implications and to ensure value for money is achieved. Good knowledge and experience of advocacy and attending hearings is essential for this role. Key responsibilities: Implement and maintain quality standards to boost Legal Services' reputation and income, meeting performance targets Build strong relationships with clients and senior managers to meet needs and drive continuous service improvement Develop and deliver training, provide advice, and create guidance notes for clients and Council members Monitor and maintain team documentation and procedures Participate in meetings, cross-departmental groups, and lead project teams Manage resources to meet service levels within budgets and seek improvements What the client is looking for: Qualified barrister or solicitor with higher rights of audience Extensive advocacy experience at all court levels, including contested hearings and cross-examinations Specialised knowledge in child protection and adoption law, with expertise in community care and education Excellent negotiation and listening skills in diverse and potentially difficult settings Advanced research and problem-solving abilities, capable of simplifying complex legal issues for varied audiences In-depth awareness of local authority issues and ability to support corporate objectives effectively Please quote the Job Title & Vacancy Reference No. in your application, or we will be unable to match your CV to the role being applied for. How to Apply: Quote the Job Title and Reference Number in your application. Submit your CV in Word format. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis—early submission is recommended. Please note that clients invariably ask us to strip out contact details from CVs before we submit them for consideration. This is always quicker and easier to do if you send your CV to us in Word format, rather than as a PDF please.