Overview
Principal Lawyer (Adults & Education)
We are looking for an experienced and committed Principal Lawyer to manage a legal team dealing with a range of matters including: Care Act; Mental Health Act, Community Care & Mental Capacity Act; Education law including school appeals & SEND Tribunal work. This is a busy and supportive team, and the role is a challenging and dynamic one, looking forward to the future.
Responsibilities
* Support the Legal Team Manager (People) in the management of the team and collaborate with Officers and elected Members.
* Be a qualified Solicitor or Barrister with extensive knowledge in Adult Social Care and/or Education work and demonstrate the ability to transfer legal skills to areas outside current expertise.
* Research and anticipate the effects on service provision of new developments in the law for clients; provide legal and procedural advice and training to clients as required; supervise colleagues in the Legal Service as appropriate.
* Manage a team undertaking public sector adult matters, such as mental health, deprivation of liberty, community care, safeguarding, ordinary residence & Court of Protection.
* Advise on policy, strategy & procedure relating to both adult social care and education matters; be involved in advising on committee reports and at committee meetings.
* Experience from a Local Authority setting is preferable to understand local government and administrative law and the challenges facing local authorities.
* Demonstrate good communication and presentation skills, customer care, analytical and problem-solving abilities; ability to work under pressure to deadlines; well-developed leadership and staff supervision skills; ideally have experience attending committees and occasional evening meetings.
Qualifications
* Qualified Solicitor or Barrister with extensive knowledge in Adult Social Care and/or Education work.
* Ability to transfer legal skills to new areas within the team’s remit.
* Strong research, training, and advisory capabilities for clients; experience in supervising colleagues.
* Good communication, presentation, customer care, analytical and problem-solving skills; able to work under pressure and lead a team; willingness to attend committees and occasional evening meetings.
* Experience from a Local Authority setting is preferable.
What we give in return
* Enhanced annual leave - 34 days annual leave (inclusive of bank holidays) from day 1, increasing up to 39 days after 5 years’ service.
* Enhanced public pension - A career average pension (contributions built at a rate of 1/49th of yearly pensionable pay).
* Flexible working pattern - 37-hour standard full-time working week and hybrid/remote arrangements.
* Purchase of annual leave - Ability to purchase up to 10 extra days of annual leave per year (pro-rata for part-time staff).
* Cycle to work scheme - Income Tax and National Insurance savings of up to 25-39% off the retail price depending on package value and tax status.
* Employee Assistance Programme - Free confidential support for employees and their personal life and work life balance.
* Paid volunteer leave – Up to two days per year to volunteer for local organisations in Cheshire East.
* Virgin Media and O2 discounts - Exclusive discounts on Virgin Media broadband and O2 plans.
* Discounted gym memberships - Corporate membership prices for Everybody Leisure (gym, swim, group fitness, off-peak racket sports, athletics tracks, sauna/steam/spa) across facilities.
* For more information about rewards and benefits, see Employee benefits (cheshireeast.gov.uk).
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