Paralegal (Public Law) - County Buildings, Ayr - SOA13066 - SOA13066

JOB DESCRIPTION

We are seeking to appoint a full-time Paralegal (Public Law) to join our Legal and Licensing Service, supporting the delivery of high-quality legal services across the Council.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced paralegal, or an individual with appropriate relevant experience, seeking to develop their career within a supportive and collaborative legal environment. We are particularly keen to hear from candidates who have an interest in civil litigation and public law in general, and how that impacts the work of a local authority. We would like applications from candidates with a commitment to public service and a willingness to develop their skills across a range of local authority legal matters.

The successful candidate will join the Litigation team and play an important role in supporting a varied caseload of legal work. You will assist solicitors with court cases across the full range of actions we raise, including areas such as housing, debt recovery, and guardianship applications. You will raise simple procedure actions and assist with preparation of Summary Cause cases. You will assist solicitors with service of court documents and preparation of productions for a wide range of legal cases before courts and tribunals. You will also be involved with election-related work and supporting solicitors for appearances before internal council panels and committees.

Working closely with solicitors, Council services and external stakeholders, you will help progress court actions efficiently and ensure matters are completed within required timescales. Flexibility is important, and you will be expected to contribute to the wider work of the Legal and Licensing Service as required, with appropriate guidance and training provided to support your development.

You will have experience of working to deadlines, managing competing priorities and delivering a high standard of customer service. Strong organisational, communication and IT skills are essential, together with the ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team.

The Council places a strong emphasis on professional development, staff wellbeing, and work-life balance. We support ongoing learning through a range of in-house and external development opportunities, including training provided through SOLAR (Society of Local Authority Lawyers and Administrators).

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RESPONSIBILITIES

Please click on the Job Attachments to access the Job Description.

ABOUT US

South Ayrshire is at the heart of historic Ayrshire, with a wealth of local heritage and culture, first class leisure amenities, world-wide travel links, diverse landscapes and thriving communities.

Making a difference for our communities is at the heart of what we do and working with us means, you can use your skills, knowledge and experience to help us do just that. We currently employ around 6000 people to serve a population of more than 112,000 people located across a diverse area that includes the towns of Ayr, Girvan, Maybole, Prestwick and Troon as well as small rural villages, coastline and farmland.

We are an ambitious Council, and we aim to place people at the centre of everything we do as we look to deliver the best possible outcomes. We are ambitious for our communities too and our new Council Plan is based on priorities and outcomes that we believe will have the greatest impact on the wellbeing of our communities, our local economy, and our environment.

BENEFITS

Here’s what we can offer!

• Competitive salary
• Excellent pension scheme
• Generous annual leave entitlement and enhanced leave scheme (purchase of up to 2 weeks’ holidays)
• Wellbeing initiatives and Occupational Health services
• A healthy environment supportive of work-life balance and caring responsibilities
• Car leasing scheme
• Discounts on major supermarkets and retailers, cinemas and gym memberships (including Council leisure facilities)
• Purchase of white goods and more via salary sacrifice
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Scotwest Credit Union

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The grade of this post is Level 7.

The work style for this post is Hybrid Worker.

The successful candidate will be required to work flexibly between home and the office and the frequency for attending the office may vary depending on the exigencies of the service.