Somerset Council
Senior Lawyer - CSC
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Senior Lawyer – Children’s Social Care & Education Protecting decision-making, serving communities
Closing Date: 20 July 2026
About Somerset Council’s Opportunity
This critical role allows you to apply your expert legal skillset to high-impact work – shaping decisions that safeguard children, young people, and families right across Somerset. You’ll represent the Council in court, collaborate within a supportive legal team, and champion quality governance where it matters most. Your work will directly deliver meaningful outcomes, reflecting your dedication to justice and service.
Role Summary
As Senior Lawyer, you’ll:
- Deliver specialist legal advice and advocacy on Children’s Social Care and Education matters, ensuring sound, lawful decision-making in complex and sensitive cases.
- Supervise junior team members, overseeing advocacy and casework quality/standards, while fostering a culture of excellence.
- Manage risks for the Council, liaising actively with support staff and colleagues to maintain robust service standards.
- Build collaborative partnerships with Senior Management and external stakeholders to align legal strategy with strategic objectives.
Key Responsibilities
Advocacy & Casework
- Lead independent legal representation in matters requiring advocacy without supervision, including court hearings and negotiations.
- Apply your legal reasoning to contested and high-stakes Children’s Social Care & Education cases, including placement disputes, care proceedings, and education tribunals.
Team Leadership & Supervision
- Support the Team Leader in supervising junior lawyers:
- Oversee case assignments, ensuring competence and timely completion
- Conduct performance reviews and developmental coaching
- Foster a collaborative team culture, with clear communication of expectations and standards
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Knowledge & Strategy
- Research and clarify local/national law advancements, synthesising findings for practice guidance and service improvement.
- Collaborate with Principals and teams to align legal solutions with Council priorities, e.g. achieving Human Rights compliance or Family Courts’ safeguarding policies.
What We’re Looking For
Essential Skills & Experience
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Technical Legal Expertise:
- In-depth knowledge of Child Law (e.g. Children Act 1989, Special Educational Needs (SEN) Code of Practice) and Senior Courts’ Children Act jurisprudence.
- Strong grasp of local government legal frameworks, including macroeconomic impacts on service provision.
- Substantial post-qualification credential as solicitor, barrister or legal executive (QLP), with five+ years managing complex cases.
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Analytical & Communication:
- Ability to leave no stone unturned when researching high-risk legal issues and distilling findings into clear legal opinions.
- Outstanding written advocacy skills, capable of drafting court submissions, policy guidance, and procedural memos.
- Confident articulation of legal arguments to all audiences—reviewing tribunal members, fraught parent/carer meetings, and senior management.
- Resilience under pressure: Multiple deadlines, shifting priorities, and confidential high-stakes advice presented daily.
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Leadership & Judgment:
- Experience supervising or mentoring others, including delegation, workload balancing, and quality-controlled visibility.
- Keen ability to assess legal risk and balance risks with client outcomes (e.g., ethical/corporate governance warnings).
- Flexible mindset and championing improvements—e.g. improving Tribunal response time by 25% or piloting new case management systems.
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Desirable (But Valued)
- Previous experience in local government or public sector law, or working with Councils/d Tasars.
- Exposure to risk management frameworks, e.g., financial safeguards, data protection, or public sector procurement.
- Track record of containing disputes expeditiously whilst maintaining accountability.
- A passion for bipartisan intra-Council collaboration.
Terms & Conditions
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- Working Pattern: Permanent, Full-time (37/hrs p/week)
- Salary: £58,282 per annum including a time-limited £9,000 recruitment allowance (until 30 June 2029).
- Leave: 33 days annual leave additional to public holidays. Best of emirates: Hybrid/office flexibility.
- Relocation Support: £8,000 contribution for those relocating to Somerset. SkillsEvent Note: Only shortlisted candidates eligible for interview will be reviewed for relocation subsidies. }
Sponsorship:
This role cannot accommodate new external sponsorship requests.
About Somerset Council
Our high-performance team recognises you for your work’s impact—every case file improved, every precedent you shape, and every client’s rights you safeguard. Our commitment to innovation extends to supporting your CPD; we recently ranked 4th out of 300 UK Councils for excellence in procuring procurement systems!
Getting in Touch
For informal discussions or application enquiries: Email: Kehinde Awojobi, Head of Legal. For consistent questions, visit [Formal Jobspecification](https://app.careers.acrobot.com/Companies/Somersetغار%20C הע têm*).*
Notice: Preference is given to candidates meeting the PSP Reference Standard where relevant.
Your voice in Child Law matters—countus on your expertise to lead with confidence.
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