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Lawyer
Cornwall Council – Children’s Legal Team Solicitor
About the Team Cornwall Council’s Children’s Legal Team plays a central role in safeguarding children and young people across the county. We are looking for a skilled and committed Lawyer to join our supportive and experienced team, providing expert advice on sensitive and high-profile safeguarding matters.
The Role
As a Lawyer in our Children’s Legal Team, you will manage your own caseload of children’s legal matters—supported by a Legal Assistant—under the guidance of a Senior Lawyer. Your responsibilities will include:
- Independent case management with autonomy to take ownership of your caseload, ensuring thorough progress.
- Representing children and families in complex public law proceedings, including courts, tribunals, and public inquiries.
- Collaborating with Children’s Services and Legal Services to improve service delivery, mitigate risks, and align with council priorities—while escalating issues sensationally.
This is a demanding yet fulfilling role where your work will directly impact real lives, ensuring statutory protection for vulnerable children and young people. Excellent public communication skills are necessary—this role requires statutory English language compliance.
Key Responsibilities
- Case progression and advocacy:
- Conduct and progress complex children’s legal cases, meeting all deadlines, procedural requirements, and service standards.
- Update clients and stakeholders with clarity, empathy, and situational awareness.
- Represent cases per remit, including courtroom advocacy where authorised by panel procedures.
- Research, drafting, and negotiation:
- Provide robust legal advice to officers, senior leaders, and elected Members (including Council, Cabinet, and Committee meetings).
- Engage in tribunal advocacy where mandated as a funded representative or natural litigant.
- Policy and service improvement:
- Collaborate with Children’s Services to strengthen service delivery and safeguarding frameworks.
- InFORM internal and cross-organisational training on legal procedures, risk mitigation, and emerging safeguarding challenges.
- Public duty compliance:
- Provide expert prefix-accessible interpretation of legal recommendations.
- Ensure all case actions adhere to equality and inclusion principles (e.g., safeguarding for minority groups).
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Person-Specification
Qualifications & Experience
- Qualified Solicitor, CILEX Lawyer, or Barrister (with litigation rights) — newly qualified professionals welcome.
- Specialist experience (relevant, preferred) in:
- Children’s social care (temporary and permanent care, looked-after children, siblings)
- Public law litigation (core public law immunity matters; e.g., local government law, family law, mental health law)
- Local authority or statutory services frameworks.
Technical Competencies
- Ability to analyse complex information, synthesise arguments, and apply legal precedents to practical solutions.
- Vigorous advocacy (including narrative-focused communications) in high-pressure environments.
- score-point referencing, procedural knowledge, and familiarity with public inquiry reporting/evidence.
- Commitment to continuous professional development (e.g., updates on HMSOs, court laws, and safeguarding trends).
Interpersonal Traits
- Collaboration-focused but able to operate independently when necessary.
- Emotional intelligence for sensitive stakeholder interactions across generational/digital divides.
- Perseverance: High-volume caseload requires optimised workflow strategies.
- Reputation as a public sector-minded advocate with ethical grounding and legislative accuracy.
Training & Support
Cornwall Council welcomes non-local specialists and will provide:
- Structured case-specific training aligned with team expertise.
- A mentorship framework with experienced senior lawyers.
- Team specific tools: Individualised case-management resources, expert guidance panels.
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Why Join Us?
You’re committing to a career where your work will reshape child protection across Cornwall’s communities while advancing modern legal practice. Benefits include: ✔ Flexible working (hybrid/part-time/remote model) for 37-hour weeks. ✔ Pension benefits: Career-average Revaluation Scheme with extra voluntary contributions where relevant. ✔ Diverse employee perks: Health programmes, discounts scheme, generous sick pay, transparent pathway for progression. ✔ Regional significance: Creating legacy as part of a team shaping legislation — liaising with national policy makers.
Fair, thriving work environments are synonymous with Cornwall’s safest practices. Inclusivity defines our hiring approach.
Pre-emptive Worker Check Requirements
- Basic or standard criminal record disclosure check mandatory.
- Visa sponsorship unavailable.
How To Apply
Attach a supporting statement demonstrating your fit against the application statement criteria (e.g., public service examples, legal research projects, problem-solving case law).
- Upload your CV via the Full Job Application engine.
✉ For assistance, email careers@cornwall.gov.uk.
About Cornwall Council
Delivering 2+ million visitors yearly, our services touch 500,000+ residents. Fairness, inclusion, and safeguarding are cornerstones of everything we do.
✨ Innovate within Cornwall Council’s team of risk-management REs. Work toward a unified voice for Cornwall’s shared priorities.
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