Team Lawyer – People – Adults (3 posts)

Salary: Grade 10, 38,553- 42,614 per annum.
3 x 37 hours per week
Closing Date 27th November 2022

 Wigan is a great place to work and, as a local authority, we truly value and recognise our staff as our greatest asset.  We actively encourage innovation, strive to deliver outstanding services and celebrate our successes by our commitment to our ‘Be Wigan’ behaviours, Be Courageous, Be Accountable and Be Positive. Our Legal team is inventive in its approach, digitally enabled and encourage a blended working ethos with equipment provided, which ensures that our staff have a happy and healthy work life balance. We are proud to have won the prestigious Lawyers in Local Government Innovation Award 2021 for our strategy on digital innovation and virtual court hearings.

Your role:
As a Team Lawyer – People (Adults) you will be part of a client focussed and outcomes driven legal and democratic function.
You will operate in the areas of law of Court of Protection Welfare Applications, Ordinary Residence Disputes and Section 21A Challenges. You will work closely with client officers, Elected Members, partner organisations and other key stakeholders to assist them in the delivery of their service objectives and priorities.
You will handle a legal caseload which may well include complex and significant matters, drafting complex and significant legal documents and engage in detailed negotiations with parties as appropriate   You will advise, prepare and conduct proceedings acting as an advocate for the Council at court, tribunals, inquiries and other statutory and legislative hearings.
About you:
You will be a Solicitor with a current practicing certificate or have an equivalent Barrister or Legal Executive qualification. You will ideally have three years post qualification experience in two areas of law from Court of Protection Welfare Applications, Ordinary Residence Disputes and Section 21A Challenges. You will be an enthusiastic, highly motivated and professional individual with experience of providing legal advice to assist and guide clients when making decisions.
You will have experience of handling a personal caseload of legal cases which could include complex and signification matters. You will also be expected to advise, prepare and conduct proceedings acting as an advocate for the Council at court, tribunals, inquiries and other statutory and legislative hearings.
You will have a proven track record in a pressured and deadline driven environment and be able to represent the service and the Council at a local and regional level as necessary.
About us: 
Wigan Council has been voted ‘Council of the Year’ at the iESE Public Sector Transformation Awards and has recently published The Deal 2030, our ambitious plan for our borough.  We are signed up to the Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment ensuring that your service will be continuous or ‘unbroken’ between the supporting organisations.
Our dedicated in-house Legal team provides high quality legal advice to Senior Leaders, Elected Members, Council Officers, partner organisations and other key stakeholders across the public and private sector on a range of legal matters.
We aim to offer services which are good value for money, innovative in their approach and delivery, risk aware not risk averse and open to doing things differently. We adopt a collaborative approach with all our clients’ ensuring we are embedded in all their processes and decision making.
We are committed to the continuous professional development of our staff which includes the payment of professional fees, a wide range of training opportunities and potential for management development.

For an informal discussion please contact Rebecca Schofield, Group Lawyer via email Rebecca.Schofield@wigan.gov.uk

As an employer we like to thank our employees for their hard work and commitment by giving them the opportunity to access a range of exclusive rewards and benefits.
 
Covid Safe
Wigan Council are proud to be a Covid safe organisation. For some of this role you will be required to work from home and connect with your team and others virtually.  However, there may be occasions where you are required to go into a council building to carry out part of your role. The health and wellbeing of our staff is of utmost importance to us and if you are required to use a council building, a risk assessment will be conducted beforehand and the appropriate safety measures put in place.
To view the details relating to this position, please click the links below:

Job Specification

Interview date: Week Commencing Monday 5th December 2022

Find out more about working for Wigan 

This position is politically restricted