Paralegal - 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 paralegal 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 supporting on all Adult Social Care matters; including Safeguarding, Mental Capacity, Court of Protection proceedings, Deferred Payment Agreements, Deprivation of Liberty, and Judicial Reviews.

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:

• Providing full administrative and practical support on a mixed caseload of ASC matters including Safeguarding, Mental Capacity, Court of Protection proceedings, Deferred Payment Agreements, Deprivation of Liberty, and Judicial Reviews
• Progressing a caseload of Deferred Payment Agreements within an Adult Social Care context
• Working as part of a designated team securing monies owed to the Council; liaising and taking instructions from the finance client, dealing with queries/challenges that arise and ultimately securing charges with the land registry
• 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 a paralegal whose skills combine legal expertise with the personal qualities necessary to excel in the sensitive and complex field of adult social care law:

• Strong organisational skills and a proficiency to record and monitor progress on existing excel spreadsheets (essential)
• An ability to clearly, confidently, and effectively communicate and account to the client department (essential)
• Meticulous attention to detail and ability to use own initiative (essential)
• Effective time management, prioritisation skills and an ability to work under the demands of competing pressures (essential)
• Experience of advancing Deferred Payment Agreements/Cautions and securing debt on behalf of a Local Authority (desirable)
• A basic understanding of law relating to Adult Social Care and Mental Health Law (desirable)
• Any experience dealing with Property/Wills/Trusts (desirable)
• An understanding of the work done by this public sector service (desirable)

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, 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.