Barnsley Council
Lawyer - Childcare
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Position reference: 50140437
Directorate: Core | Service: Legal
Salary: £40,444 - £51,928 (Career Grade)
Working Arrangements: Mon - Fri inc. Agile Working
Hours per week: 37
Contract type: Permanent
We are happy to talk flexible working arrangements with you, please get in touch.
See our range of Employee Rewards: Employee rewards and benefits
Closing date: 25/09/2026 at 23:59
This post requires a Basic Criminal Record Check.
Prospective employees will be required to give a reasonable account of any significant periods (6 months or more in the past 3 years) of time living abroad.
When applying, please ensure you are prepared to start work with all the necessary legal documents, such as a valid visa, relevant to the type of work you will be undertaking. Please be aware that our organisation does not possess a Home Office license and, as a result, is unable to provide sponsorship for anyone seeking a visa as a skilled or temporary migrant worker.
Pensions Regulations have provisions to reduce pension payments in certain circumstances of those who return to work within local government service. If you are in receipt of a pension upon commencing employment with the authority, this may affect your pension entitlements and you should therefore seek advice from the relevant Pensions Authority.
At Barnsley Council you can start a career that makes a real difference to people’s lives, helping our council and residents to be the best they can be.
We’re an award-winning council and one of the biggest employers in the borough, supporting around 243,000 people. We put people at the heart of everything we do, and that includes our employees. As part of the team, we offer lots of benefits and rewards to support you to thrive and grow, like flexible working, employee discounts, support for your health and wellbeing, and opportunities for training and development to grow your career and develop your skills.
There’s so much happening in our thriving borough, and now’s the perfect time to join our excellent Legal team as we work to make Barnsley the place of possibilities.
We’re an award-winning team and one of the biggest employers in the borough supporting around 243,000 people. Working at Barnsley Council means being part of a team that makes a real difference to people’s lives, where you can develop the skills you need to make change happen. If you join the team you’ll receive great pay alongside an excellent pension scheme. With flexible working we’ll also support your work/life balance, helping you to adjust your hours and take time off when you need it. We’ll help you to develop your career and grow your skills with opportunities for training and development. There’s so much happening in our thriving borough and your talent and skills will help us make Barnsley the place of possibilities.
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About The Post
Barnsley Council is an award-winning team and one of the biggest employers in the borough, supporting around 243,000 people. There’s so much happening in our thriving borough, and your talent will help us make Barnsley the place of possibilities.
As a Council we pride ourselves in being an inclusive employer where a people-centred culture is at the forefront of supporting our people’s well-being, motivation, and productivity.
We understand the importance of flexibility, and we offer a range of flexible working patterns to aid a work life balance that accommodates individual needs.
As a modern employer we actively remove the barriers to employment. Whether you are looking for a part-time opportunity, a working parent or carer, living with a disability or long-term health condition, we welcome and value your application to join our team.
This a new post to join an already established and caring Child Care team.
The main duties of the successful Childcare Lawyer will include:
- Handling a caseload of mainly Public Law Child Care cases and pre-proceedings matters.
- Undertaking advocacy on behalf of the council.
- Advising Children’s Social Workers face-to-face and in writing, on all aspects of relevant legislation. We handle a variety of cases so you will have the opportunity to grow your knowledge and experience in some of the more niche areas!
- Prepare all legal documentation relevant to the caseload, and in particular prepare a wide variety of court documents, advise on child protection law, and assist the Senior Social Care Lawyers and Principal Lawyer in relation to the most complex or specialised matters as and when required.
- Carry out legal research.
Experience Required For The Childcare Lawyer Role
- Qualified Solicitor, Barrister or Legal Executive (with the appropriate rights or the willingness to achieve such)
- We’re not expecting candidates to have experience in all of the above, but exposure to one or more areas would be beneficial
The Childcare Lawyer joining this team will enjoy the following benefits:
- Legal assistant support at a rate of 2:1
- Fantastic training and development opportunities
- Competitive salary
- Excellent local government pension scheme, including the option to contribute to an Additional Voluntary Contribution Scheme
- Flexible and hybrid working.
- Generous annual leave allowance, increasing with length of service and an additional 5 discretionary days used for Christmas shutdown
- Flexi time and use of up to 5 banked flexi days per year
- Car lease scheme, salary sacrifice for a brand new car!
- Salary sacrifice scheme for extra annual leave, cycle to work, home electronics and childcare vouchers.
- Discounts on car parking, rail travel, eating out, leisure attractions and gym memberships.
- Family friendly policies including; excellent maternity, paternity and adoption entitlements.
- Discounts on parking
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Interested in applying for the Childcare Lawyer role?
This is a brilliant opportunity for an experienced Childcare Lawyer to join a Legal Team with a great reputation. We will invest in your growth so even if you do not have local authority experience we still would like to hear from you.
Please use the documents below to help support you with your application form.
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Why work for us?
Please ensure you view the job profile for this role, as you will need to demonstrate in your CV & covering letter how you meet the required criteria.
We welcome the opportunity to have a chat about the role and are happy to address any questions you may have about flexible working arrangements, including as a result of caring responsibilities.
We're committed to creating a workplace where differences are valued and everyone truly feels able to be themselves. If you have any support needs during the recruitment process, please let us know.
At Barnsley Council, we believe in second chances and value diversity. Our recruitment process is inclusive, and we welcome applicants with past convictions. We're committed to fairness and do not discriminate. Join us in building a future where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. #InclusiveHiring #SecondChances
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