Senior Lawyer - Adoption

Are you an experienced lawyer with a strong background in Adoption law? Are you looking for an opportunity to take on complex and meaningful legal work, making a real difference to children, families and the wider community?

Reading Borough Council is looking for an experienced Senior Lawyer – Adoption to join its Legal Services team. This is an excellent opportunity for a knowledgeable and confident legal professional with significant previous experience in Adoption work, who can provide high-quality, pragmatic legal advice and manage a complex and demanding caseload.

We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity and inclusion is the key to our success. Reading Borough Council is a Disability Confident Employer and is committed to the recruitment and continued employment of people with disabilities.

We support hybrid working, it’s important to us that working arrangements are designed to enable our employees to excel and within this role you’ll have the opportunity to work in a way that suits your lifestyle.

About The Role:
As part of the Berkshire Joint Legal Team, you'll join a specialist shared legal service across Berkshire providing expert legal support across Adult Social Care, Children's Social Care, Education, and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

As Senior Lawyer, you will take the lead on Adoption-related legal matters, providing specialist advice and guidance to colleagues across the Council. You will manage a varied and complex caseload, ensuring that legal matters are handled efficiently, sensitively and to the highest professional standards.

You will work closely with social care colleagues, senior officers and other key stakeholders, providing clear, solution-focused advice and supporting the Council in delivering its responsibilities.

As a Senior Lawyer specialising in Adoption, you will:

• Manage a complex caseload of adoption matters, including agency adoptions, non-agency adoptions, step-parent adoptions and special guardianship-related work.
• Provide expert legal advice to Children's Services, senior officers and elected members.
• Conduct advocacy where appropriate and instruct external counsel on complex cases.
• Support social workers and managers throughout adoption proceedings.
• Draft and review a wide range of legal documents, court applications and agreements.
• Keep abreast of developments in adoption law, practice guidance and relevant legislation.
• Support and mentor junior lawyers and contribute to the ongoing development of the legal team.

You will also contribute to the wider Legal Services team, sharing your expertise, supporting and mentoring colleagues and helping to drive continuous improvement in service delivery.

About You
We are looking for a solicitor, barrister or suitably qualified CILEX lawyer with:

• Significant previous experience of Adoption law and proceedings – this is essential.
• Strong technical knowledge and the ability to manage complex and sensitive legal matters.
• Experience of providing clear, pragmatic legal advice to a range of clients and stakeholders.
• Excellent advocacy, drafting, negotiation and communication skills.
• The ability to work independently, manage competing priorities and meet demanding deadlines.
• The confidence to advise on high-risk and sensitive matters, exercising sound professional judgement.
• A collaborative approach, with the ability to support, mentor and share knowledge with colleagues.

Previous local authority or public sector experience would be advantageous, as would experience of advising senior officers and working within a complex social care environment.

Experience of supervising colleagues and contributing to service development will also be important.

You’ll be part of a team that relies on each individual to play their part to the best of their ability. As well as the colleagues that you work closely with every day, you’ll also be part of Team Reading, playing your personal part in making Reading a successful and vibrant place.

Our vision is to ensure that Reading realises its potential as a great place to live, work and play, and that everyone shares the benefits of this success. Our values and behaviours guide how we will achieve this:
Work Together as one team - work collaboratively, with each other and with our partners, and demonstrate the Team Reading values in everything we do
Drive Efficiency - show initiative, be adaptable to change and put forward ideas to help improve delivery and efficiency. Take responsibility for our own learning and development and for reaching our potential.
Be Ambitious - be demanding of our own performance – striving to be even better – and be prepared to engage with and challenge leaders in a constructive and positive way.
Make a Difference to Reading - maintain the highest levels of customer service and be flexible and willing to provide the services needed at the time they are needed.

Our offer:
We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across. Innovation and ambition are strongly encouraged, and you’ll get a great feel for that working in our friendly and collaborative environment.

A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:

• Generous holiday entitlement - 25 days holiday each year plus bank holidays - rising to 30 days after 5 years and 33 days after 10 years' service, with the option to buy additional leave
• A wide range of flexible working opportunities
• Modern working environment at the Civic Offices in the heart of Reading
• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• Life Assurance - three times your annual salary (for members of the LGPS)
• On-site day nursery (Kennet Day nursery) rated outstanding by Ofsted
• Season Ticket Loan - a loan to help with the cost of your rail or bus journey, to and from work
• Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand new, greener car for three years. The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing and road tax

For more information on this position please contact Janet Latinwo – Strategic Lead (Governance) at Janet.Latinwo@reading.gov.uk

Closing Date: Sunday 29th November 2026
Interview Date: To be confirmed
Interview Setup: In person at the Civic Centre, Bridge Street, Reading, RG1 2LU