Lawyer - Adult Social Care

Are you passionate about supporting vulnerable adults and making a difference in the community and would you thrive in a committed, friendly and supportive team? We are seeking a dedicated and proactive candidate to join our Adult Social Care Team. This is an exciting opportunity to work at the heart of local government, supporting vital services that protect and empower adults in need. The role involves providing advice and representing the client department on all Adult Social Care matters, including Safeguarding, Mental Capacity, Court of Protection proceedings, Deferred Payment Agreements, Deprivation of Liberty, and Judicial Reviews. Your knowledge will be instrumental in guiding the local authority through complex legal matters and safeguarding the interests of vulnerable individuals.

The role offers an opportunity to work on challenging and rewarding cases directly impacting the lives of those in need. You’ll be part of a team committed to delivering high- quality legal services in the public sector.

Staffordshire County Council genuinely recognise the benefit of achieving the right work life balance and our extensive package of benefits support this. Lots of organisations offer this however our staff survey reliably informs us that our work ethos truly delivers this. We genuinely invest in our employees and our package includes a generous holiday entitlement, increasing significantly with service, and an additional annual leave purchase scheme. Flexible and hybrid working (in an appropriate job role), employee travel and entertainment discounts, a local government pension scheme, optional car lease scheme and a staff parking discount scheme. We also offer family friendly polices such as maternity, adoption, paternity, and parental leave.

Responsibilities will include:

• Managing a caseload of ASC files, providing legal advice to the local authority’s Adult Social Care service
• Handling Court of Protection proceedings which involve safeguarding the rights and interests of vulnerable adults who lack mental capacity
• Advising on the availability of services to meet the social care needs of adults under the Care Act 2014
• Reviewing and potentially challenging local authority decisions to refuse care and support
• Providing guidance on funding care and support for individuals who don’t meet the means test for local authority-funded care
• Representing the client department at all case related meetings and conducting advocacy in court in appropriate matters
• Adherence to the Legal Services Unit’s quality standards (Lexcel) including time-recording to maintain professional standards
• Handling confidential data sensitively and securely in accordance with policy

We are looking for you to be a Legal Executive/Solicitor/Barrister whose skills combine legal expertise with the personal qualities necessary to excel in the sensitive and complex field of adult social care law aswell as:

• Legal knowledge in adult social care and mental health law
• A desire to work in the public sector and to support vulnerable members of the community
• Excellent communication skills as the candidate will need to provide general legal advice, conduct advocacy and interact with various stakeholders
• Meticulous attention to detail
• Effective time management, prioritisation skills and an ability to work under the demands of competing pressures

If you are unsure if your skills and experience are suitable for this role or you have any queries, please contact Wendy Lofthouse, Deputy Legal Services Manager at wendy.lofthouse@staffordshire.gov.uk.

Interview Date: 26 August 2025

We are no ordinary county council:

Our Values:

The core of who we are as an organisation. Just like we all have personal values that shape our thoughts and behaviour, organisational values drive how we think and act collectively.

Our values were created and shaped by colleague feedback and national best practice and they sit at the heart of People Strategy:

We have a real sense of community spirit that brings our people together. This feeling of belonging means we are all connected to what we do and take pride in the difference we make every day for Staffordshire people. We are ambitious and our sights are set firmly on a better future.

We look forward and race ahead - that goes for your career too.

Our benefits:

We recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive working environment where employees can achieve their full potential and achieve a healthy work-life balance.

In addition to your salary, as a member of staff, you will have access to Our rewards and benefits - Careers at Staffordshire

Our recruitment process:

As an Authority we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Staffordshire County Council is an equal opportunities organisation and Disability Confident employer. We encourage applications from all background and communities

As part of our commitment as a Disability Confident employer, a Gold Award Armed Forces employer and our commitment to supporting care leavers - we offer a guaranteed interview as long as your application meets the minimum criteria for the post.