In House Advocate (Social Care)
Grade K – £41,675 – £45,591
37 hours per week
1 x Permanent post
We are looking to recruit an In-House Advocate to join our Social Care Legal Team. The successful candidate will have extensive experience of advocacy in the family courts, to include experience of conducting final hearings before circuit judges.
Working with a varied caseload, in a sensitive political environment, you must be able to work effectively with other officers, in order to achieve the successful implementation of the Council’s objectives. In this role you will make a positive difference to the lives of others. Sometimes the role will be challenging and there will competing pressures and deadlines; however, you will be supported by experienced managers and be provided with the tools you will need to do your job
Our children’s services have a good Ofsted rating.
We are proud to be Team Bolton. The members of the Social Care team all support each other and work together to achieve the best outcomes for children and adults in Bolton. We look forward to welcoming you when you start and to support you whilst you get to know the role and as you progress.
Knowledge of Local Government Law with a particular emphasis on Public Children Act proceedings is essential. Experience of adult social care would also be beneficial, although the role will be primarily to undertake child protection advocacy.
You should be enthusiastic team player with excellent organisational skills and be able to look at evidence in a balanced and analytical way.
Excellent communication skills are required as you will be responsible for your own advocacy and providing advice and guidance to clients and lawyers. The successful candidate will have the ability to build rapport and trust with clients and have strong negotiation and persuasion skills
You will also have strong IT skills and you will be able to work with Microsoft Office applications and an electronic case management system. Your skills will also enable you to work in different locations, including remotely.
You will have the ability to work on your own initiative and be effective when faced with a high volume of complex work. The ability to work to deadlines is essential.
Bolton is a great place to work. We have a strong team of lawyers and the environment is friendly and supportive. The office is open plan and we all use Iken as a case management system and have access to Lexis Nexis and PLC
Legal Services is made up of the Social Care Team and the Corporate & Environment Team.
Legal Services provides legal advice about Council functions and powers and it represents the Council in courts, tribunals and inquiries. Our main clients are officers in the council’s departments. In addition, we provide advice to members of the Council.
Over the years, we have developed specialist knowledge in many areas of law including those relating to employment, licensing, planning, housing, local government prosecutions, civil claims, judicial review, private and public Children Act proceedings, immigration, education, adult social care, property, regeneration, compulsory purchase, contracts, procurement and highways. We also deal with constitutional matters and ensure that administrative decisions are properly taken and implemented by advising on the council’s legal powers and duties. Our lawyers provide legal advice with regard to governance issues, to include disclosure of information, complaints and Ombudsman work.
In addition to Principal and Senior Lawyers and an Advocate, there are two categories of Lawyer, being the Community & Litigation Lawyer and the Corporate Lawyer.
The Social Care team is made up of Community & Litigation Lawyers, Legal Assistants and Administrative Support.
The Corporate & Environment team is made up of Corporate Lawyers, Community & Litigation Lawyers, Legal Assistants and Administrative Support.
The work areas for each category of Lawyer are broad, but some lawyers specialise more than others which is due to the business need; the Corporate Lawyer role covers corporate governance, highways, planning, housing, property, development and regeneration, commercial matters, construction, business models and procurement. The Community & Litigation Lawyer role covers employment law, local government prosecutions, civil claims, judicial review, private and public Children Act proceedings, education law and adult social care.
We are a flexible service and, therefore, you will have the opportunity to work from other offices within Bolton and to work from home on occasion, as directed by business need, which can reduce travelling time. Furthermore, we operate a flexitime system which allows flexibility in your working life. In return, we are looking for the same flexibility from you in relation to the role.
We are a modern and progressive employer, our Lawyers have access to technology that enables them to work flexibly and efficiently. You will have the latest software on your touch screen laptop, allowing you to work remotely and flexibly. We also have an excellent case management system and access to online research facilities. We are based in newly renovated premises in Bolton town centre, with nearby parking and access to rail and bus networks.
As an employer we want to thank our employees for their hard work and commitment, by giving them the opportunity to access a range of exclusive rewards and benefits, including discounts and exclusive gym membership prices and salary sacrifice schemes. In addition we offer a generous annual leave allowance, access to the Local Government Pension Scheme, as well as access to employee support services and assistance programmes.
For an informal discussion about the position please contact Sharon Hymes on 01204 331121 or Ceri Owen on 01204 331012
For more information please see the Work with Us page on greater.jobs
This post is a designated customer facing role under the fluency duty and requires a specified level of spoken English as per the person specification.
This organisation has signed up to the Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment. That means we will recognise your continuous or ‘unbroken’ service in any Greater Manchester local authority or NHS organisation, Transport for Greater Manchester, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service or Greater Manchester Combined Authority, giving you access to our service-related benefits.
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