Child Care Advocate

We are looking for enthusiastic and committed lawyers to join our in-house advocacy team. You’ll be working with colleagues to make a difference to the lives of vulnerable children and young people in Berkshire.

The Joint Legal Team is a forward thinking shared legal service for all the Berkshire councils and a recognised centre of excellence for adults, education and child care law. We are hosted by Reading Borough Council, working from our modern offices in Reading town centre close to the train station and Courts.

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 are open to flexible working patterns and can provide a hybrid working environment which utilises the best of both worlds with a mix of office working in central Reading and homeworking according to the needs of the Service.

About the Role

You will represent our clients on a wide variety of applications with cases which are rewarding, stimulating and offer the satisfaction of knowing your intervention supports achieving better outcomes for children, young people and vulnerable adults.

You will undertake advocacy in person and via CVP at all levels of the Family Court, in the National DoLs Court, the Court of Protection and Education Tribunals. Your child care work will be mainly short appointments including CMHs and IRHs with scope to do contested hearings. Occasionally you will be dealing with emergency or urgent applications on short notice. Many of our cases are in person in the Reading or Slough Courts, although we support a move for more case management hearings being held via CVP.

You will report to the Team Leader for Advocacy, who is a qualified barrister with over 30 years’ experience and will support you in your work and in your professional development. Our childcare legal teams are managed by very experienced Principal Lawyers who can provide further support to you on complex cases.

Our Senior Professional Support Lawyer will support you to develop your legal skills and to move to the next level in your career.

Our Legal Operations Team will support you in delivering your work as we invest further in our systems and processes and work towards Lexcel accreditation.

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

About you

Building on the success of our current team, we are seeking motivated and driven lawyers to work with us. All our lawyer roles are open to qualified solicitors, barristers and chartered legal executives.

Experience is desirable but not essential as we can offer training to the right candidate for example if you have just completed your pupillage.

To apply for this role, you will have:

* A current practising certificate and be entitled to practice in England as a Barrister, Solicitor, or Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives

* Some experience in advocacy with a keen desire to develop

* Ability to work to tight deadlines and remain calm whilst under pressure

* Attention to detail and the confidence to work independently as well as in a team

* Excellent communication, team-work and relationship building skills

* A flexible approach to work and ability to use initiative

* Ability to maintain confidentiality

Our offer

We offer a positive and supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across. Innovation and ambition is 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 holiday rising to 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 - to help with the cost of your rail/ bus journey, to & 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.

Please feel free to contact Anne Haycock, Team Leader for Advocacy on (phone number removed).

Closing Date: 28th April 2024

Interview Date: To be confirmed

Please note that the closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. Therefore, it is strongly advised that you complete and return your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment