Job Description
Location: Newcastle
Depending on the needs of the service, there is potential for limited flexible/hybrid working within this role. Arrangements will be discussed with the successful candidate.
Salary: Grade 6 - £43,338 per annum
Full time: 37.5 per week
Contract: Permanent
Closing date: Monday 20th October 2025 at 11.30 pm
Are you a Solicitor with experience of housing and homelessness law and Legal Aid? If so then consider a move to Shelter and you could soon be making a real difference to people affected by the housing emergency.
About the role
Using your legal expertise, you will play a key role in tackling housing injustice and unfair housing practices. You will be working under our Legal Aid contract, delivering legal advice and representing tenants at court where needed. Delivering systemic change through legal challenge to prevent homelessness will also be a considerable part of the role. You will also work with the team in the Hub to help make sure people in the community are aware of their housing rights and how to enforce them, as well as providing support to Trainee Solicitors and Legal Advisers, ensuring good practice and compliance.
About You
Qualified as a Solicitor, you will have a strong knowledge of housing law and substantial experience of managing a wide range of housing cases. You have strong skills in court advocacy, litigation, report writing, file reviews and are able to meet financial targets. You will be able to meet the 2018 SQM supervisor standard in housing and be able to demonstrate experience of working under a legal aid contract.
Benefits
We offer a wide range of benefits, including 30 days of annual leave, enhanced family friendly policies, pension and interest free travel loans. Our employees also have access to a tenancy deposit loan, payroll giving, cycle to work scheme and an employee assistance programme.
About Shelter
Home is a human right. It’s our foundation and where we thrive. Yet everyday millions of people are being devastated by the housing emergency.
We exist to defend the right to a safe home. Because home is everything.
We need ambitious, passionate people to join us. This is your chance to play a part in the fundamental change we are striving to achieve.
Our enemy is the social injustice at the core of the escalating housing emergency. To win this fight, we must be representative of the people we are here to help and those who support our movement. In all our people decisions, we take pride in being inclusive, equitable and transparent. We are committed to combating racism both within and outside Shelter. We welcome you on our journey to becoming truly anti-racist.
About The Team
Our Legal Service provides specialist legal knowledge across Shelter through four teams covering Community Legal advice, Strategic Litigation, the National Legal Team and Legal Support Team. You will be part of our Community Legal Team, who are based across our 11 hub locations and work alongside hub colleagues every day to fight housing injustice and deliver systemic change relating to housing practice in our local communities.
Shelter North East has been supporting people in the region for over 25 years and provides advice over 12 local authorities. We are made up of an advice team, legal team, administration team as well as support services which include Housing First and DIY skills service. National staff based in the hub include a Community Fundraiser and Community Organiser, Lived Experience Officer and Business Development Manager.
We aim to bring about systemic change through our work with clients, training for our partners and volunteers and using evidence to bring about housing procedural and policy changes for people in the North East.
How to Apply
Please submit your CV with a supporting statement with responses to the 'About You' points 1-7 outlined in the job description of no more than 1000 words. Please provide specific examples following the STAR format and ensure you demonstrate how you address the behaviour below throughout your responses:
* We prioritise diversity and have an inclusive and open mindset
Safeguarding Statement
Safeguarding is everyone's business. Shelter is committed to protecting the health, wellbeing and human rights of those we support, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect. All our staff will be expected to observe professional standards of behaviour and conduct their work in line with our Safeguarding Policies.
Recruitment Agencies
Shelter does not accept unsolicited CVs from external recruitment agencies nor accept the fees associated with them.