Team Lawyer – People (Children’s)
About the Role
Priority Candidates will be considered in the first instance
Location: Wigan Town Hall, Library Street, Wigan WN1 1YN
Salary: Grade 10, £43,693 – £47,754 per annum, with an additional recruitment and retention enhancement rate being applied for this role, resulting in a salary of £51,754.
37 hours per week
Full time / permanent
Closing date: 8 June 2025
We’re on a journey to build a workforce reflective of our Borough.
We are committed to fostering diverse teams where everybody can bring their authentic selves to work and feel that they belong. If you want to work for a Council where everybody is encouraged to meet their full potential and make a difference in our neighbourhoods, we would love to hear from you!
Your role:
As a Team Lawyer in the People team (Children’s) you will be part of a client focussed and outcomes driven legal and democratic function.
You will deal with all aspects of Children’s Social Care law which includes Local authority pre-proceedings work, Care Proceedings, Other safeguarding orders (such as; EPO’s, Recovery Orders, FGMO’s and Applications under the inherent Jurisdiction) and Adoption within our People Team which also includes Adult Social Care and Health.
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 include complex and legally challenging 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 must have post qualification experience in Children’s Social Care Law.
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 including complex and significant matters. You will be able 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 working 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 ‘Overall Council of the Year’ at the APSE (Association for Public Service Excellence) Awards. We are signed up to the Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment ensuring that your service will be continuous or ‘unbroken’ between the supporting organisations.
The Progress with Unity plan is a place movement for change for the next decade, bringing a new era for Wigan Borough. It draws on the strengths of our individual organisations, recognising that together we can achieve much more for our communities by delivering on our 2 place missions; create fair opportunities for all children, families, residents and businesses and make our towns and neighbourhoods flourish for those who live and work in them.
Our 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. Our commitment to continuous professional development has seen us shortlisted for the Lawyers in Local Government Excellence in training award 2024.
Here at Wigan, we are proud to support flexible working patterns, when the service can accommodate this. We also take a blended approach to where we work, depending on the work we do. This may include working from home, the office, or the community. 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 click here to find out more about working for #TeamWigan.
To be appointed to this role you must be able to prove your right to work in the UK. Please visit the link below to check you qualify to apply. Please note, at present we are not a licenced sponsor. Prove your right to work to an employer:
Overview – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Prove your right to work to an employer
For an informal discussion please contact Helen Rimmer, Group Lawyer People via email h.rimmer@wigan.gov.uk
To apply please visit https://www.greater.jobs/job/75701835
Interview date: Week Commencing Monday 16th June 2025
To view the details relating to this position, please click the links below:
