Solicitor

About The Job

Salary: £39,493 to £46,549 per annum. Dependant on experience.

Working Pattern: Full-Time, 37 hours per week.

Contract: Permanent.

Location: Hybrid with County Hall, Chichester as your office base.

Your primary focus will be to provide clear and balanced advice to the Adults' Services Directorate. You will assess the needs of clients and be responsible for decisions which may affect the future wellbeing and circumstances of individual clients and/or residents of West Sussex.

You will run a mixed case load across Adults' Services on related matters and also assist with delivering training in relation to these areas. In your role as a Solicitor, in the People Services Team, your key areas will include:

• Community care law.
• The Mental Capacity Act and DoLs advice.
• Ordinary residence advice / disputes.
• The Human Rights Act.
• Court of Protection and advocacy.

Why does success in this role matter? Because it allows us to invest even more in public services that are the lifeblood of our communities. Want to #BeTheDifference, read more about the opportunity below.

Experience and Skills

Key Skills:

• Effective drafting and report writing skills.
• Fully competent research skills.
• Sound organisational skills, flexibility and the ability to adapt and respond to changing priorities.
• Competent presentational skills or advocacy.
• Ability to analyse and advise on legislative and regulatory text and other legal materials and to present arguments in written form.
• Sound IT skills.

Qualifications and/or experience:

• Qualified solicitor or barrister
• Relevant chartered status of a professional body or equivalent high-level experience of involved practices.
• Demonstrable experience of delivering a quality customer focused service to others.

Rewards and Benefits

Our values and support for one another is intrinsic to everything we do and will be a key priority within the assessment for this post. We care hugely about wellbeing, allowing time for a good laugh, and developing our team to be the best they can be. Alongside this, we also offer the below benefits.

• 30 days annual leave + bank holidays with the ability to buy additional leave annually.
• Access to a generous, defined benefit pension scheme.
• A range of flexible working options, including hybrid working.
• Maternity, paternity, dependency, and adoption leave and occupational pay schemes.*
• Training and development opportunities, including coaching and mentoring.
• A range of discounts including Sainsbury's, ASOS and Samsung.
• Discounted membership at selected local sports and fitness centres.
• A range of commuting and business travel discount and initiatives.

For a full list of the benefits offered to you as a West Sussex County Council employee you can find them on our Rewards and Benefits page.

*subject to qualifying criteria after the maternity paternity (etc) occupational schemes.

Further Information

The reference number for this role is CRS00693.

There will be periodic requirements for lifting or carrying moderately heavy items such as case files. There is a regular and intrinsic requirement to communicate in English with members of the public.

Does this sound like your next venture? Apply below by uploading your CV and cover letter. In your cover letter please demonstrate experience of how you meet the key skills, which are listed in the job description attached.