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Solicitor/Senior Solicitor/Barrister-Children’s Social Care x3

Permanent, Full time (37 Hours per week)

Grade 8 (£52,413 to £56,730) plus market forces payment of 10% until 31 May 2028

Based at the Civic Centre and any other suitable location within the City of Wolverhampton

The Team

The multi award-winning City of Wolverhampton Council is seeking an enthusiastic Solicitor/Barrister to join our dynamic and hardworking Social Care and Education Legal team.

This permanent position is an ideal opportunity for an individual who is looking to advance their career and join a thriving and supportive organisation with genuine opportunities for career growth in local government.

The legal department is Lexcel accredited, is ahead of the game when it comes to legal excellence. Our Commercial Property Team was awarded LLG Legal Team of the Year 2025 and our Litigation Team was named LLG Legal Team of the Year 2026. Working for us offers the opportunity to excel as an individual and as part of a team.

There's never been a better time to join us when we are at an exciting stage of transformation for the organisation and the City. Recent developments have made the City a place where people want to come to work, shop, study, enjoy its vibrancy and use its excellent transport links.

What the role offers you

We offer a wide range of benefits including competitive salaries, generous annual leave entitlement, excellent pension scheme, a dedicated and modernised office space, hybrid working amongst many more.

Based within the legal department, you will:

• Provide legal advice and representation to our children services and education department.
• Manage your own varied caseload including but not limited to:
  • Public law children matters relating to care and placement order proceedings, fostering and adoption, and general children’s social care matters including non-school education prosecutions and general education matters
• Advise senior officers within the local authority; and
• Be actively involved in client care and business development

What we are looking for from you

The successful candidate will be a solicitor/barrister (equivalent legal qualifications will be considered) with demonstrable experience in childcare law.

Local government experience is an advantage although not essential and applications from private practice are welcomed.

This post is subject to a satisfactory standard Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

Please see the job description and person specification for more information.

If you are interested in applying and require further information on this position, please contact Lead Lawyer - Saroj Bangard on 01902 554922 or email saroj.bangard@wolverhampton.gov.uk or contact Acting Head of Legal Services – Mushtaq Ahmed-Khan – mushtaq.ahmed-khan@wolverhampton.gov.uk

Closing date: 26th July 2026

Interviews are scheduled to take place week commencing 3 August 2026

NJC Pay Award for 2026 / 2027:

The annual pay increases for 2026/27 for NJC Local Government Employees are currently being negotiated and, once agreed, will be effective from 1 April 2026.

For more information about working for our organisation including the culture of the Council, the Council plan and vision, staff equality forums, core HR policies, employee benefits and much more please click here.

Our working arrangements

All council roles are allocated to either a fixed, field or flexible work style. Some roles are agile which enable and empower employees to maximise their performance and productivity, whilst maintaining a healthy work life balance. Roles with a fixed workstyle work in a fixed permanent council location. Roles with a field workstyle are usually allocated where employees are required to be out working in the community with a minimum requirement for 'touch down' space at any council location. Roles with a flexible workstyle have a flexible base location to meet the needs of the business and employees can work from a mixture of home or any council office, partner/client, or external location, as required to meet service requirements.

Please refer to the Job Description for further information on the workstyle assigned to the role you are applying for.

For more information about working for our organisation including the culture of the Council, the Council plan and vision, staff equality forums, core HR policies and much more please click here.

Diversity

We are committed to building a workforce that is reflective of the diverse community we serve. We want to attract the best applications from people of all backgrounds and underrepresented groups because we strongly believe in adding value through diversity, inclusion, and equality. Our employees enable us to deliver services that are accessible, inclusive, and reflective of Wolverhampton residents.

Our status as a Disability Confident Employer showcases our commitment to people with disabilities or health conditions, advocating for their opportunities and potential.

We've received the Stonewall Gold Award, emphasising our dedication to the LGBT+ community by nurturing an inspiring, inclusive, and equal workplace.

As of March 2023, the RACE Code Quality Mark signifies our active engagement with racial equality. These recognitions validate our continuous efforts towards fostering an inclusive work environment that respects and values our diverse employees.

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 essential criteria for the post.

We encourage, inspire and value an inclusive culture here at the council where employees can flourish, thrive and be themselves. We have four staff equality forums for employees to join. These help to ensure our employees have a voice, they feel empowered to speak up and where everyone is treated with respect - Learn more about the staff equality forums here

Recruitment of Ex-Offenders

We are committed to the fair treatment of all our employees, potential employees, or users of our service regardless of offending background. The Council uses the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) for any vacancies that require a DBS check to obtain information about applicants to assess their suitability for employment in positions of trust. We do not discriminate unfairly against any individual on the basis of a conviction or any other information revealed as a result of a DBS disclosure - Learn more here

Employment Information & Support

If you are considering applying for an apprenticeship or a role where the salary is (Grade 2-5), and would like to visit us to learn about the application, interview process and what it is like to work for the council, please click on this link to find out more - Learn more here