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We are looking for a passionate and skilled Child Care Lawyer to join our dedicated Joint Legal Team, delivering high-quality legal services across multiple local authorities. This is a rewarding opportunity to play a key role in safeguarding children and supporting social work teams to achieve the best outcomes for vulnerable families.&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; About the role: The purpose of Legal Services is to provide the Council and its partners with the highest quality professional legal advice and representation which allows them to run their organisations well, and to serve our community.&nbsp; Our ambition is to be the best place to practice law in local government; being close to our customers, recruiting the best talent, successfully deploying legal technology and ensuring the continued growth of the business to new customers.&nbsp;&nbsp; The Joint Legal Team is a long-standing shared legal service for all the Berkshire councils and a recognised centre of excellence for child care law, adults and education law. We are hosted by Reading Borough Council, working from our modern offices in Reading town centre close to the train station and courts.&nbsp; We are recruiting for qualified solicitors, barristers or FCILEX to join our child care teams in the Joint Legal Team. Willingness to undertake advocacy at CMHs and IRHs is an advantage. You will work in a small team of lawyers, supported by paralegals and legal assistants and led by an experienced Principal Lawyer. You will be supported you in your work and in your professional development to develop your skills by our Professional Support Lawyer and to move to the next level in your career.&nbsp;&nbsp; In Child Care Court Teams you will have opportunities to work on a wide range of interesting and complex cases to grow your experience. Our long established Adoption and Permanence Team works closely with Adopt Thames Valley to support our clients. We offer advocacy training to our lawyers.&nbsp; You will report to a Senior Lawyer or a Principal Lawyer who will support you in your work and in your professional development. We encourage our lawyers to develop their legal skills and to move to the next level in their career. &nbsp;&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; You will be part of a dynamic team that relies on each individual to play their part to the best of their ability. As part of Team Reading you will play your personal part in making Reading a successful and vibrant place.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Whatever your specialism or previous experience, you will thrive on the challenge of working in a customer focussed environment and in a team which has an ambitious agenda for the future.  You will have opportunities to join in the wider work of the team outside your specialist field in helping us to reach our team objectives.    &nbsp; All of our lawyer roles are open to qualified solicitors, barristers and chartered legal executives.  &nbsp; About you: To apply for this role you will require:&nbsp;&nbsp; - A current practising certificate and be entitled to practice in England as a Solicitor, Barrister, or Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executive&nbsp; - Experience of providing legal services for a range of local government services&nbsp;&nbsp; - An ability to work to tight deadlines and remain calm whilst under pressure&nbsp; - Attention to detail and the confidence to work independently as well as in a team&nbsp;&nbsp; - Excellent communication, team-work and relationship building skills.&nbsp; - A flexible approach to work and ability to use initiative&nbsp; - Ability to maintain confidentiality&nbsp;&nbsp; The TEAM Reading values underpin the way we work day-to-day and are the foundation for modern, cost effective services to improve the lives of local people.&nbsp; 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:&nbsp;&nbsp; Work Together as one team - work collaboratively, with each other and with our partners, and demonstrate the Team Reading values in everything we do&nbsp; 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&nbsp;&nbsp; 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&nbsp;&nbsp; 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.&nbsp;&nbsp; Our offer: We offer a 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.&nbsp; A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:&nbsp;&nbsp; - Generous holiday entitlement - 25 days holiday each year plus bank holidays - rising to 33 days after 10 years' service, with the option to buy additional leave&nbsp; - A wide range of flexible working opportunities &nbsp; - Modern working environment at the Civic Offices in the heart of Reading&nbsp; - Local Government Pension Scheme(LGPS)&nbsp;&nbsp; - On-site day nursery (Kennet Day nursery) rated outstanding by Ofsted&nbsp; - Season Ticket Loan - to help with the cost of your rail/ bus journey, to &amp; from work&nbsp; - 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&nbsp; For more information on this position, please contact <a href="mailto:recruitment@reading.gov.uk" target="_blank">recruitment@reading.gov.uk</a> or for an informal chat about this role, please contact Eleanor Gibson, the Team Leader for Child Care, <a href="mailto:eleanor.gibson@reading.gov.uk" target="_blank">eleanor.gibson@reading.gov.uk</a>&nbsp; &nbsp; Closing Date: Sunday 21st September 2025 (Applications to be reviewed upon submission) Interview date: To be confirmed&nbsp; 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.&nbsp;

Reading Borough Council

Child Care Lawyer - Joint Legal Team

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Are you an experienced housing lawyer ready to take the next step in your legal career? We’re looking for a skilled and motivated Senior Housing Lawyer to join our dynamic Housing &amp; Civil Litigation Team within the Council’s Legal Services. This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in high-quality legal work that truly makes a difference. If you have strong legal expertise, particularly in housing litigation, and a thorough understanding of key housing legislation, we’d love to hear from you. Join us as we work towards becoming the best place to practice local government law—where talent is valued, innovation is embraced, and professional excellence is at the heart of everything we do. 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: This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in supporting the Council’s Housing Service by providing expert advice and assistance across all areas of Housing and Homelessness law. You’ll represent the Council in County and Magistrates' Court proceedings, with the potential to be involved in complex cases in the High Court. Principal accountabilities and responsibilities include:
<ul>
<li>Be responsible for a large and varied caseload of Housing Litigation matters, to include drafting Letters Before Action, pleadings, witness statements, settlement agreements, briefs to counsel and corresponding with both Litigants in Person and legally represented opponents</li>
<li>Issuing court proceedings on behalf of the Council and ensuring that instructions are lodged within timescales</li>
<li>Complying with relevant Protocols and timescales, complying with the Civil Procedure Rules and ensuring that all court direction deadlines are met</li>
<li>Preparing for court hearings</li>
<li>Advocacy in the County Court and the Magistrates Court</li>
<li>Ensuring that clients are kept up to date with the progress of cases and legal action</li>
<li>Advising on all aspects of Housing law including in the areas of Homelessness, Allocations and Judicial Review and on relevant points arising in the Housing Act 1985, Housing Act 1996, Criminal Justice &amp; Public Order Act 1994, Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, Local Government Act 1972 and Equality Act 2010.</li>
<li>Assisting the Principal Lawyer where required in the more complex cases held by the team.</li>
<li>To deputise for the Principal Lawyer in casework or the management of the team when required by the Principal Lawyer</li>
<li>Providing advice to members, officers and partners on legal matters, policies and corporate issues, ensuring the Council’s best interests are achieved within the law.</li>
<li>Line managing of staff assigned by your line manager</li>
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About you: We’re looking for a qualified legal professional an admitted Solicitor, Barrister, or Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives with a current practising certificate and the right to practise in England. You’ll bring a strong interest in housing law, alongside in-depth knowledge and hands-on experience of Housing Litigation and court procedures, including conducting your own advocacy. With proven experience in managing or supervising others, you’ll be confident leading and supporting a team. Highly organised, conscientious, and collaborative, you take pride in delivering high-quality work and thrive in a dynamic, team-focused environment. Our ideal candidate will have:
<ul>
<li>Experience of holding a large and varied caseload of housing cases</li>
<li>Experience of dealing with cases allocated to both the Fast and Multi track</li>
<li>Excellent diary management skills and the ability to organise and prioritise workload to meet service needs</li>
<li>Recent advocacy experience</li>
<li>An excellent working knowledge in key Housing legislation</li>
<li>Good interpersonal skills and is a good team player</li>
<li>Experience of line managing people and/or extensive supervision of others and a willingness to do so in this role</li>
</ul>
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 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:
<ul>
<li>Generous holiday entitlement - 25 days holiday each year plus bank holidays - rising to 33 days after 10 years' service, with the option to buy additional leave</li>
<li>A wide range of flexible working opportunities&nbsp;</li>
<li>Modern working environment at the Civic Offices in the heart of Reading</li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.berkshirepensions.org.uk/" target="_blank">Local Government Pension Scheme</a> (LGPS)</li>
<li>Life Assurance - three times your annual salary (for members of the LGPS)</li>
<li>On-site day nursery (Kennet Day nursery) rated outstanding by Ofsted</li>
<li>Season Ticket Loan - to help with the cost of your rail/ bus journey, to &amp; from work</li>
<li>Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand new, greener car for three years.&nbsp; The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing and road tax</li>
</ul>
For more information on this position please contact Ms Georgina Tully - Principal Lawyer - <a href="mailto:Georgina.tully@reading.gov.uk" target="_blank">Georgina.tully@reading.gov.uk</a> Closing Date:&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Sunday 21st September 2025 Interview Date: &nbsp;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.

2 Legal Jobs in Newbury, UK